How Are You Philippines?

HONG KONG - LURID photographs of the bloodbath dominated the front pages of the Hong Kong press on Tuesday, with a few Chinese-language newspapers changing their mast-head colour from red to black in mourning. Editorials echoed the southern Chinese territory's leader in querying the response of Philippine authorities. 'The way it is handled - particularly the outcome - is very disappointing,' Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang told reporters late on Monday. Newspapers bemoaned missed opportunities to end the siege much earlier, including when the gunman - a disgraced former senior police inspector - had waved from the bus door. 'A large group of police failed to get into the bus after surrounding the vehicle for nearly half an hour,' the Hong Kong Economic Journal said, adding: 'Their appalling professional standards, and the lack of strategic planning, made observers both angry and sad. This tragedy could have been avoided'. Also noting the len...

A woman from Hong Kong cries as she enters a hospital to visit her relative who was wounded during Monday's hostage drama in Manila, Philippines. -- PHOTO: AP HONG KONG - THE Philippines faced fury in Hong Kong on Tuesday as the territory plunged into mourning for eight tourists mown down in Manila, with flags at half-mast and share traders holding a minute's silence. One survivor of Monday's day-long bus siege said her husband and two daughters were killed in a hail of bullets as the crisis reached a dramatic climax. Her son was in intensive care in hospital, said the survivor, identifying herself only as Mrs Leung. 'The Philippine government.... I can't accept this. Why did they do this to us? The gunman did not want to kill us. He only shot us after the negotiations failed,' she said, sobbing. The Hong Kong government has added the Philippines on its travel 'black' list, urging all against travelling there. Two Cathay Pacific flights were als...