Brother of Manila bus hijack victim appeals for legal aid
The brother of a tour guide killed in the 2010 Manila bus tragedy appealed for legal aid in the High Court on Friday, so that he can continue his campaign against the Philippine government.
The brother of a tour guide killed in the 2010 Manila bus tragedy appealed for legal aid in the High Court on Friday, so that he can continue his campaign against the Philippine government.
The court reserved its decision in the case, said Tse Chi-kin, the older brother of slain tour guide Masa Tse Ting-chunn, speaking after the closed-door hearing.
Tse has twice asked for legal aid but been rejected for unspecified reasons.
He is seeking a formal apology and compensation from the Philippine government over the deaths of Masa Tse and seven Hong Kong tourists. They were killed when a disgruntled former policeman, Rolando Mendoza, hijacked their bus and opened fire on August 23, 2010.
Democratic Party lawmaker James To Kun-sun, who has been helping Tse, said on Friday that one issue before the court was whether the Philippine government would claim sovereign immunity, exempting itself from the court action.
The judge on Friday asked if the claim had a reasonable chance of success, he said.
To pointed out that about 80 per cent of personal injury cases were settled out of court. He hoped the matter could be dealt with by the lawyers representing the claimants and the Philippine government, to save legal costs.
Tse said the Philippine consulate wrote to him last week saying the government had taken steps to make tourism safer in the country, but it made no mention of compensation.
Tse called on the Hong Kong administration to exert pressure on the Philippine government.
