Manila hostage survivor Tracey Wong Cheuk-yiu 'can make it in journalism'

Manila hostage survivor Tracey Wong Cheuk-yiu has the qualities to become a good journalist, the professor who admitted her to journalism school says.

Wong, 17, who survived the bloodbath in which sacked policeman Rolando Mendoza killed eight people, including both her parents and her aunt, said earlier that the ordeal had inspired her to be a journalist.

Professor Leung Tin-wai, head of journalism and communication at Shue Yan University, who had an admission interview with her, said she was calm and good at both Chinese and English languages.

At the time, he did not realise she was one of the survivors of the tragedy, two years ago this week. "I really hope that after four years of study here, she will devote herself to the media industry," he said.

Her brother Jason Wong Ching-yat, only 12 at the time, was released from the hijacked bus before the shooting began.

Daniel Wong Ip-cheung, principal of Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School, where Tracey studied, said she was "determined" to study journalism.

"She has the heart [for it] and her drive is very strong. She also has the spirit to pursue the truth," he said. Her public examination results were satisfactory.

He said the siblings, now living with an aunt, were still not ready to discuss their ordeal with the media.

The principal said Jason would enter Form Three next month and the school would try to push him harder in his studies, as he had room for improvement. It would also ask teachers to bring him to school on public transport, instead of taking taxis, which the school had arranged for him for the past two years.

Tse Chi-kin, elder brother of slain tour guide Masa Tse Ting-chunn, said he hoped Tracey would study hard and become a good journalist. Tracey could not be reached for comment.