by Tessa Jamandre VERA Files Despite the criticisms hurled at the media for the way they covered last Monday’s hostage crisis, most of them observed…
Making life worth living.
by Tessa Jamandre VERA Files Despite the criticisms hurled at the media for the way they covered last Monday’s hostage crisis, most of them observed…
Update: Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma issued the following statement on Inquirer’s story on his statement re President Aquino’s failure to take HK’s Donald Tsang’s call last Monday. See story in the comments:
The headline of this story is not correct.
When I was interviewed over ABS-CBN this morning, I did not state nor imply any “doubts (that the) HK chief called (President) Aquino during (the) hostage crisis” last Monday, August 23.
The report quotes me as having said, “Di kapanipaniwala yan dahil ‘accessible’ siya sa lahat ng oras.” (That is unbelievable because the President is accessible all the time).
What I referred to as being unbelievable was the claim published in earlier newspaper reports that President Aquino was “inaccessible” at that time.
The following story came out in the South China Morning Post today, Aug. 26, 2010:
[Raissa’s note: I am posting this with the permission of my editor. Just to clarify, I did talk to foreign affairs spokesman Ed Malaya to get the department perspective but he declined to comment. ]
It was the case of the telephone calls that didn’t get through.
An anxious Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen was never put through to Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Monday. Despite at least two phone calls, Aquino’s aides did not tell their head of state that Hong Kong’s leader needed to speak to him.
This is how it all started:
It is 4pm – the hostage crisis has lasted for more than five hours. Tsang, watching the drama unfold on television, is desperate to contact the new Philippines leader.