After the incidents and issue regarding Claudine upsurge in suing Angelica Panganiban about the malicious hearsay that she is “spreading” (that is according to Claudine), the two camps on both sides are trying to make a move in doing a reconciliation and bringing back he two to the light of friendship.


It is due to the previous news that Angelica is the root of the issue of Claudine’s elicit affair to Derek Ramsay’s bestfriend. According to Claudine, she has a lot of evidence and witnesses that it was the young star who is responsible in scattering the malicious news and Clau is threating to sue Angelica.


Clau’s talent manager is making a move and negotiation to make the two reconcile and that the issue will come to a halt. It has been the main articles of showbiz news in prints and tabloids and it is very scandalous and therefore, this has to be stopped.


They say that hurting words spoken is forgiven, but it will never be forgotten. At the end of this tale, will the two be still, once more, become friends? We’ll see.

While promoting the fight of Manny Pacquaio and Margarito in the coming months, Bod Arum, owner of Top Rank Promotions who is busy in his ht promotion of the fight received a bad message. It has been reported that his son was missing after they went into mountain hiking in Seattle. Even at this moment, they were still looking for his son.


John Arum, aging 49 years old is an active son of the magnate Bob Arum has decided to go for a mountain hiking that day and that he has never been seen after their mountain climbing activity. Many speculations were being made that it might that John has been kidnapped, or has been fallen and never get back or might be away with some other friends and failed to inform the rest of his group.


With Bob Arum who was in the LA for a three day promotions of the much awaited battle between Manny Pacquiao and Margarito was forced to leave the city with his wife Lovee to help in the seeking of his son.


Let’s just hope that John will be found as soon as possible, and as safe as possible.

After a week of the previous pageant, the Miss Universe 4th Runner Up Maria Venus Raj paid a courtesy visit to the Palace of Malacañang. That was her first time that she was able to enter such famous place in the country.
Miss Universe fourth runner-up Venus Raj gets much needed advice from President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.


In her courtesy call to the President, Aquino told her to be careful now that she’s a public figure.


“Since I am now entering public life, I should be careful of the people surrounding me,” said Raj.


Aquino also thanked Raj for giving positive news amid the Quirino grandstand bloodshed that left eight foreign tourists dead.


“Of course it’s an honor to be here at the Palace being congratulated by no less than the President of the Philippines,” Raj said after her brief courtesy call in Malacanang.


Raj said she is willing to help the government improve the Philippines’ image through tourism.


“If they will ask me, I will gladly help,” said Raj. She said she is also willing to enter show business “if there are offers.”


Wearing a modern Filipiniana terno, Raj waited for Aquino for almost 45 minutes. She gamely posed for pictures with several officials, including members of the Presidential Security Group.


She was accompanied by her mother, Ester Payoniyo, Binibining Pilipinas Charities Head Stella Marquez-Araneta and Uniprom Director for Entertainment Sienna Maris Olaso.


Raj is the first Philippine Representative to the Ms. Universe to have made it to the top 5 since 1999. A crowd favorite, Raj was touted as a strong contender but choked when she was asked a question by actor William Baldwin.


Baldwin posed, “What is one big mistake that you’ve made in your life and what did you do to make it right?”


Raj replied, “You know what, sir in my 22 years of existence I can say that there is nothing major major, I mean, problem that I have done in my life. Because I am very confident with my family, with the love that they are giving to me. So, thank you so much that I am here, thank you thank you so much,” she answered, making her an instant online sensation, her ‘Major major’ expression even a trending topic on Twitter for several hours.


Raj has made it that far but she even made it the farthest..if only!

To those who are watching their weights and and is afraid of the calorie, I have stumbled in this article while researching for my friends diet pattern and some helpful tips. Enjoy reading…

Even when you’ve promised yourself that you’re going to work on your diet and try to exercise, for real this time, you’ll always find yourself in a situation where you can’t help but eat more than you ought to or at least try not to appear too much of a health buff especially in front of other people. May it be a family gathering, dinner with your co-workers or night-out with your friends, there are so many situations that you’d rather not be a part of, if only to save yourself and your body from more calories. But who says that you can only watch what you’re eating when you’re at home and you prepare your own food? Just like every other plan, your diet plan needs contingency measures. When eating out, you can still do away from calories if you have an idea of what you should or should not order. Water is enough. If you can, avoid ordering beverages like soda or alcoholic drinks when eating out. These contain hundreds of calories and can make you hungrier, inviting more food into your system. Lessen the dressing. If your meal comes with a salad, opt for low-calorie dressing or if low-calorie dressing is unavailable, use a tiny amount of dressing. If your meal comes with soup, opt for a vegetable soup. No appetizer. Don’t order an appetizer unless it is a small one with lots of fruits and vegetables. That way, you will be full of healthy food by the time your meal arrives. Chew slowly. This allows your food to digest and register in your stomach as ”full” before you continue to eat. Chew about 20 times per bite or until the food is fully dissolved. Make use of the ambience. Remember, you’re not dining at home. Being outside with other people invites more topics of discussion. Instead of spending time eating, talk to your companions or comment about the place. It will make everybody at ease and comfortable. Skip dessert. If you really need something sweet, you may order fruit. If you’re not sure what dessert is best for you, ask. Some restaurants offer low-calorie desserts for weight watchers like you.



source: ph.news.yahoo.com

It seems that the cases of dengue in the country nowadays continues to rise and is unstoppable. Amidst the rigid campaign of the government promoting the cleanliness and habitual house cleaning and fogging, the cases do not fluctuate as what we all expected.


As what being forecasted by the Department of Health, the cases of dengue will still reach up to 80,00 at the end of this year. Clinics and hospitals were all occupied and some refuses to accept patients due to unavailability of rooms. In some government hospitals, patients are advised to bring their own beddings just to be admitted since wards and private rooms were ow all being occupied.

As of August 14 this year, 54,659 dengue cases have been recorded nationwide. From this figure, 2,966 cases were recorded in the first two weeks of August alone.

A record number of 17,470 dengue cases were reported in July 2010, more than double the number of cases in July of the previous year.

DOH National Epidemiology Center (NEC) Chief Dr. Eric Tayag said August is the peak month for dengue but the number of cases is expected to keep rising in the first two weeks of September.

“Sa mga susunod na linggo, asahan natin na medyo mataas pa. Ibig sabihin niyan, kung nakaraang July lampas 17,000 ang na-report, baka malampasan ito kung mananatiling Agosto ang peak month ng dengue,” he said.

The DOH earlier said trends have changed and dengue is no longer a rainy season disease. Dengue cases are now expected even when the rainy months, June to August, are over.

Tayag said one of the reasons why dengue trends have changed is because of the recent El Niño weather phenomenon, which caused dengue-carrying mosquitoes to mutate.

“Naobserbahan yung mga lamok, lalung naging mas mabilis yung kanilang pangangagat sapagkat naging mas maliit daw sila (It was observed that dengue-carrying mosquitoes now bite faster because they have become smaller),” he said.

The NEC chief also said the recent water shortage, which forced people to store water in containers in their homes, contributed to the increase in mosquitoes. Dengue-carrying mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, whether it is clean or dirty.

He explained that there are currently four dengue strains so it is possible for a patient to get dengue more than once.

Tayag reminds the public to follow DOH’s “DENGUE” reminders:

- Daily monitoring of the patient (check if the patient is vomiting, has rashes, or has difficulty urinating;

- Encourage oral fluids or oral glucose electrolyte solution (an oral solution of 1 liter water, 8 teaspoons (tsp) of sugar and 1 tsp salt will also do);

- Note any symptoms of dengue (nose-bleeding, muscle pain, vomiting, fatigue)

- Give paracetamol, not aspirin;

- Use mosquito nets or screens; and

- Early consultation is advised

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure as they may say. And let us all cross all our fingers that this problem will come to a halt.

There is a flood of reactions and mocks thrown at the Miss Universe 2010 4th Runner up Maria Venus Raj who came from the Philippines. And with that, I have dodged with this article that each Filipino must read:


I’m writing this opinion piece as a direct reaction to a Huffington Post article on the recent hostage crisis and Venus Raj’s supposed blunder in the concluded Miss Universe pageant. One question was posed, as this article ended: How much are Filipinos demanding of themselves?


Mr. Wagner wrote: “I came to the conclusion that in spite of all the things the Philippines has going for it, its people didn’t demand enough of themselves, or of their government. Political apathy and a willingness to accept a low common denominator of performance have taken their toll on the psyche of the Philippine people.”


I’m teaching now at the University of the Philippines. Apart from imparting lesson on how to write for a popular audience, I’m sharing values and life’s lessons. Every writing exercise also aims to build confidence. From these exercises, I’m hoping to drill the point that they should strive for excellence.


Once I was asked why I decided teach. My reply: I see hope in these kids. That may sound corny, but it’s true. There’s nothing more satisfying than knowing that after weeks of sharing lessons in writing, they will also realize I’m future-proofing them. I learned this lesson the hard way.


I made mistakes—but there was none that I would have regretted. So this would explain Venus’ “major, major” answer that has been turned into a running joke. At such a young age, Venus sees hope. So when asked what was the biggest mistake she has done in her life, and what could have she done to correct it, she didn’t pick a specific incident. We all make mistakes in life and we learn from it. No regrets. In my book, that’s an honest answer to a very difficult question.


Reacting to a post I made on Facebook about the HuffPost article, Filipino journalist Luz Rimban thinks that “even when success should be within reach, we often don’t ensure it, or don’t set ourselves up to succeed. It’s not just the ‘pwede na’ [That’s good enough] mentality. It’s the lack of competitiveness, the absence of the fight-to-the-finish, all-or-nothing mentality that drives others to be the best they can be. Filipinos just make do. But the situation is different when Filipinos go abroad, however. Nag-iiba na mindset nila [Their mindset changes].”


On August 23, 2010, the world watched a desperate former policeman take hostage of innocent tourists in Manila. As I watched events unfold, I felt sadness and anger. For a country wanting hope, this is another black-eye. The day-long hostage drama ended in a bloodbath. The next day, Venus who was touted as one of the top Ms. Universe candidates supposedly choked when asked a difficult question. Somehow, some local and foreign observers connected this event to the August 23 hostage fiasco.


Is this a reflection of the Philippine society? Do Filipinos love shooting themselves on the foot? Mistakes are repeated, giving out the impression that we don’t learn from history? Sad, but it’s true.


Jojo Ayson, another Filipino who reacted to my question on Facebook, offered this opinion: “As a general rule of thumb, we should all demand more from ourselves and strive to be better. I agree that we have to demand more from ourselves in the situation and not continue with a ‘pwede na’ attitude. Even if things did go better there is always room for improvement. That said, regardless of where you stand on the level of competency displayed I think we can all agree that we could have done better. The key is in striving to be better. If we had that attitude then we will no longer fall victim of ‘pwede na.’”


Indeed, Filipinos do demand from themselves a lot. Our pursuit of excellence is reflected in our sheer determination to survive the onslaught of negative forces shaping society. I saw this during Ondoy where unsung heroes thrived. The country witnessed this when the people toppled a dictatorship in 1986. I was there when Filipinos decided to boot out Estrada from government.


And who can deny that Manny Pacquiao is one shining example of the Filipinos’ pursuit of excellence. He epitomizes the Filipinos’ struggle to become the greatest in what they do.


In a recent lunch conversation with a friend who read a draft of this piece, she offered this insight: our pursuit of excellence is relative to our situation. For most Filipinos living in poverty, finding a decent job to pay for a decent meal drives them to demand more from themselves.


Overseas Filipino workers decide to leave their families to work abroad –sometimes in harsh conditions – to provide them a better future.


One would argue that the abovementioned examples are natural reactions to situations where government has failed to provide jobs for its booming population.


The Filipinos’ psyche is indeed intriguing, as Mr. Wagner pointed out in his article.


“If the Philippines wants to get its act together and live up to its potential, it needs to demand more of itself. It can achieve this by stopping making excuses for its failures and ending its acceptance of the lowest common denominator,” Mr Wagner posed.


If you look at Philippine history, we Filipinos have risen to the occasion many times over to topple a dictatorship, to boot out corrupt government officials, and correct a misdirected government. In short, we’re still hoping to change for the better, and if it takes a lifetime to achieve that, then so be it.


I don’t expect changes to happen overnight, as world histories have taught me. But it is clear from our vantage as Filipinos that hope is not so far off. Not everyone accepts the lowest common denominator, and we’re not going to make any excuses for our law enforcers’ or even media’s failures.


Venus has served as the inspiration to many and I believe she has made it that far. But I believe further that she MAYBE made it the farthest…if only.

After the heat wave of “MAJOR MAJOR” anwer in the previous Miss Universe 2010, the person quoted it explain her side.


For Maria Venus Raj, even her perceived debacle in the final question and answer portion of the Miss Universe pageant last week was really not a “major, major problem” for her either.


In fact, Venus’s answer to Hollywood actor and pageant judge William Baldwin’s question on what was her biggest mistake in her life and what she did about it was what she really wanted to say.


“You know what, sir, in my 22 years of existence I can say that there is nothing major, major, I mean, problem that I have done in my life,” she said in the Miss Universe stage last August 23.


Explaining what happened to showbiz talk shows over the weekend, Venus said it was all a result of her jitters before a large crowd and the noise in the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.


“Hindi ka conscious sa mga sinasabi mo. Hindi ko siguro narinig na inulit ko na siya pangalawang beses,” she told ABS-CBN’s The Buzz on Sunday.


”Parang siguro kung gusto mong bigyan ng emphasis ang isang word. Like salamat, salamat. But hindi ko siguro masyadong narinig ang sarili ko while talking. Sobrang dami ng tao ro’n at nagsisigawan sila,” Venus said on GMA-7’s “Startalk” on Saturday.


Because of this, Venus said she had realized she lost the crown. Ximena Navarrette of Mexico won the Miss Universe crown, a title Venus said “she deserves.”


“After the question and answer (I knew I will settle as fourth runner up). Parang naglalakad ako, ‘fourth runner up, fourth runner up.’ Pero positive pa rin na sana nga matawag pa rin. Pero realistic pa rin. Nakita ko yung reaction ng mga tao, ng mga judges,” she said on “The Buzz.”

She would have said the same thing but probably in a clearer and concise statement, such as “I haven’t made a major mistake in my life,” which would really sum up that most talked about pageant Q&A response from a Filipina contestant since Charlene Gonzales’s 1994 “High Tide, Low Tide” remark.


But she said she was still elated that her purported verbal slip up became “really big” that people are using it in everyday conversation, whether leaving a message on social media or making a statement on broadcast networks.


“At least every time pag sasabihin ng mga tao siguro kahit matanda na ako, may pamilya na ako, pag sinabing ‘major, major’ ay yan anak, yan (galing) sa (akin),” Venus said.


However, not only local observers but even celebrity watchers in Hollywood commented that if Venus had given a better answer, she would have won the Miss Universe 2010 crown.


There is an ongoing debate about Filipina beauty contest candidates utilizing interpreters in international pageants—something that has not been done before but seen to really spell the difference in our chances of winning.


Venus says she supports it.


“Okay lang po, sa totoo lang. Pag tinanong ka ng isang tanong, hindi ka ma-sho-shock kung anong words ang gagamitin ko parang ganoon. Alam mo, kasi spontaneous ang pag-iisip mo, parang lahat ng gusto mong sabihin, masasabi mo,” she tells GMA-7’s “Showbiz Central.”


Looking back, Venus agreed that the tides could have changed to her favor if she used an interpreter but said in the end that if that happened she might not have reached the top five.


“May chance po talaga. Kung yun ang tanong tapos Tagalog ang isasagot ko, may mag-iinterpret po sa akin, definitely maganda po yung sagot na maibibigay ko. Mas madali pero ang kaba ko naman doon, tatawagin nga ba ako sa top five kung may interpreter ako.”


Will she recommend to the Binibining Pilipinas organization to use interpreters for candidates, a first in the 46 years of its existence?


“Depende po rin po sa kandidata. Kasi may iba, gusto nila pero sa tingin nila kaya din naman nila at kaya nila matuto hanggang sa duration ng pageant. Well, okay din naman na di sila magdala but kung gusto din ng organization na bigyan ng interpreter, definitely mas maganda po.”


After all, what are we looking for? She made it that far!

They came, they saw, they conquered. The NBA Legends came to the Philippines not knowing what to expect, and left with an image of a basketball-super crazed country with a lots of great talents, and millions of passionate fans. They were treated like rockstars as they will forever be legends!


The NBA Asia Challenge 2010 carried with it a promise of bringing world-class hard-court entertainment to the Philippines with a cast of super NBA stars namely Gary Payton, Chris Webber, Mitch Richmond, and Glenn Rice mixed with local cage luminaries Allan Caidic, Ronnie Magsanoc, Atoy Co, Benjie Paras, Alvin Patrimonio and Vergel Meneses. Young NBA D-league stars and the future legends of the PBA also mixed it up in the sensational hardcourt showdown that did more than just amaze.


After almost a week’s worth of promotional activities from press and media days, to doing an NBA Cares book reading session, mall events, sponsor visits, and just interacting with the Filipino fans, the NBA legends got it on!


Payton boldly said their Red team would win because they had 2 great shooters in Rice and Caidic. Knocking down 5 booming treys in last year’s NBA Asia Challenge gave Caidic such notoriety that since day 1, the visitors have been buzzing about the Triggerman. In fact, during the welcome party for the NBA, when Caidic was introduced to Payton, he got so excited that he got all the other legends who were on the other side of the room to come over and meet the man with the guns.


And come game night, the Triggerman was not at all gun-shy dropping one three pointer after the other! A definite show stopper, Caidic had a shooting clinic with 17 three point bombs and ended up with 52 huge points in the Red Team’s 177-167 victory. There was hardly any defense displayed apart from the giddy locals trying to disrupt their favourite NBA legend, to heighten their once in a lifetime experience.


Also stealing the show was the 59 year old Fortune Cookie Atoy Co who last played at the Big Dome 5 years ago during the storied Crispa-Toyota reunion! He had a hard time getting his groove but getting the NBA legends, even from the other team, set him up enthralled the crowd. He put his hand up victoriously when he made his first basket after some 38 attempts (okay so that’s not accurate but he sure took a whole lot of shots)!


Former NBA Rookie of the Year and one of the best power forwards in the NBA in his time Chris Webber said he had a great time playing his first game in two years, hoping that the fans had as much fun as they did and expressed his high respect for Philippine basketball. “Truthfully I really wasn’t surprised with how good Filipino players were. I’m going back and will tell everybody about my experiences here. Triggerman was incredible. I wasn’t surprised with the talent of these guys… They’re all so good. You got guys out there dunking and jumping, from Spiderman to Trigger man to everybody. Everybody really showcased their talent… Fortune Cookie I tell you, to be able to play the game at his age is a blessing and an honor. To see Fortune Cookie out there shooting and he’s still going.. One time he shot and said ‘check up Chris’ I said, okay (insert laughter here). Fortune Cookie’s the man too.”


An Olympic Gold Medalist, NBA Champ, also a former ROY and one third of the famous Run TMC with Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin, Mitch Richmond also echoes that he had a blast. “It was just fun to get out here. This is an honour to actually play in this building where Ali and Frasier started the ‘Thrilla in Manila’. I never thought I’d actually get to see it let alone play in it. This is a historical moment for us and we can tell our kids now”.


Known for his tenacious defense hence the name “the Glove” Gary Payton was all about entertaining. Because of a torn calf muscles which he’s played through almost his entire career, he saw limited minutes. But of all, he was the one going overtime in terms of interacting with fans with his colourful and vocal presence. Yes there was a bit of trash talking going on, and there was also a part where he took the camera from the sideline cameraman, and stole a shoe from one of the kids playing a game during breaktime and threw in his own shoe in the mix. He was hilarious!


In the press conference, he admitted that he was surprised at how knowledgeable Pinoys are about basketball when someone answered his supposedly difficult trivia question about Glen Rice and his scoring record in an NCAA tourney. Even Rice said he doubted someone would know the answer. “But someone quickly came up and said 184 points in a single tournament, and I was impressed. I think you guys know more about us than our own family does.”


Known for his pinpoint sweet shooting and accuracy, being 8th in NBA history in 3pt field goals made, you know that Glen Rice does not play. He did say that he was in it to win it, and come 2nd half, he found his rhythm but enjoyed feeding the ball to Caidic even more. They had a three point shooting contest where Caidic won 5-7, but that Rice said “from here on now, you’re gonna get a show”. And a show it was.


“All I can say is Trigger, Trigger, Trigger.. He’s the man!” Rice also added that come playoffs, “Trigger, make sure your phone can be reached”.


Source: ph.yfittopostblog.com

Thousands of people joined a rally in Hong Kong on Sunday to demand justice for victims of the Manila hostage bloodbath, as the city’s Filipino community staged its own memorials for the dead.


Demonstrators voiced their anger over the Philippine government’s handling of the siege in the heart of Manila on Monday, which left eight Hong Kong tourists dead amid widespread complaints of police bungling.


“It’s too late for the governments to do anything, but Hong Kong people hope that, at the very least, the Philippine authorities could tell us the truth,” Daisy Kwong, a telecoms firm project manager, told AFP.


“I cried for hours after watching the tragedy played out live on TV,” she said.


The sea of demonstrators observed three minutes of silence as they gathered in a Hong Kong park, many wearing yellow ribbons and carrying white flowers, the traditional Chinese colour of mourning.


The Hong Kong political parties organising the rally, the latest in a series of events marking Monday’s tragedy, said it could draw as many as 50,000 people.

“I am furious,” 56-year-old Law Wai-hing said. “I don’t think we will ever be told the truth when the (Philippine) president (Benigno Aquino) is as appalling as he is.


“I hope the Chinese government and the United Nations can exert pressure on the Philippine government.”


Members of the city’s 200,000-strong Filipino community, the vast majority working as low-paid domestic helpers, have voiced fears of retribution.


Rally organisers asked demonstrators not to carry racially charged placards or chant discriminatory slogans.


Filipino groups are staging their own events on Sunday in remembrance of the victims, including a candlelight vigil.


Philippine vice consul Val Roque said a text message was sent to members of the community asking them to “set aside what they are doing” and attend memorial masses on Sunday.


“Being mostly Catholic, it was the best way for us to express our solidarity with the people of Hong Kong,” Roque told AFP.


He downplayed fears about possible reprisals on Filipinos, saying there had been no confirmed reports of harassment or physical abuse.

“We trust our friends in Hong Kong would not do anything untoward against Filipinos here… But we understand the anger must be released. We hope as the days go by that anger will dissipate.”


A Facebook site to remember the victims has attracted thousands of signatures, and a flood of criticism directed at the Philippine government.


Disgraced ex-policeman Rolando Mendoza, armed with an assault rifle, hijacked a busload of Hong Kong tourists on Monday in an apparent bid to win his old job back and be cleared of extortion charges.


Eight tourists and the gunman were killed in the final stages of the 12-hour ordeal, when ill-equipped police launched an assault on the bus in a drama that unfolded live on television screens around the world.


Philippine police said Sunday they were certain that the Hong Kong tourists were killed by Mendoza, rather than by police bullets during the ill-fated rescue operation.


Hong Kong undersecretary for security Lai Tung-kwok said on Saturday autopsies had been carried out on all eight victims, which may lead to an official inquiry.


Five senior Manila policemen who took part in the assault have been suspended and their commanding officer has also taken leave.


Hong Kong’s Sunday Morning Post newspaper reported that a letter containing an offer by the Philippine police to suspend Mendoza’s dismissal and try to end the hostage crisis had arrived at the scene too late.


But this claim was dismissed by country’s national police spokesman.


source: ph.yfittopostblog.com

Scores of mourners attended the burial Saturday of the sacked policeman who hijacked a bus in Manila, triggering a hostage crisis in which eight Hong Kong tourists were killed.


Even as the government tried to distance itself from the incident, hundreds crowded into a church for the funeral mass of former senior inspector Rolando Mendoza’s home, to remember him for his police honours and not for Monday’s tragic events.


“There are so many mourners because he was a good man. You never heard about him doing anything bad,” said warehouse worker Mark Torres, a family friend attending the vigil in Tanauan, a small city south of Manila.


Francisco Misaba, a district watchman, said he had been assigned to manage the traffic because of the large number of people attending Mendoza’s requiem and burial.


“There will be plenty of people attending because he had a lot of friends. Just about everyone in the district was his friend,” he said.


Mendoza’s family has refused to grant press interviews. But at the vigil, held in Mendoza’s home, they put his numerous citations on display alongside many floral wreaths sent by fellow policemen.


Later, as Mendoza’s body was placed into its grave, his son, Vismark, who is also a police officer, openly wept, sobbing, “I will never see his smile again.”


No officials attended the event and the only uniformed policemen at the funeral was Mendoza’s son but many media outlets, including Hong Kong photojournalists, were present.


Mendoza, a decorated officer who had been sacked over extortion charges, took a bus-load of Hong Kong tourists hostage in Manila on Monday, demanding to be reinstated.


This led to a 12-hour siege of the bus and muddled police negotiations that ended in bloodshed, with Mendoza and eight of the tourists shot dead.


The bungled rescue has enraged Hong Kong and embarrassed the Philippine government, which has called for an investigation.


Further embarrassment came on Friday when the Chinese embassy condemned the draping of Mendoza’s coffin with a Philippine flag as if he was a hero.

The Philippine government said the flag had been placed there by Mendoza’s family and had been later removed by a city official.


Torres said he could not explain Mendoza’s violent actions, adding that he had never heard of any misdeeds committed by the former policeman.


“I don’t think he went insane. He just believed what he was fighting for,” he told AFP.


“I can’t really say that he was justified, because people died. But we can’t say he was totally wrong, either.”


Misaba said: “We don’t understand why he did this. All we know is that he is now dead.”


Presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma said the results of an investigation would soon be presented to Hong Kong authorities.


“We are doing everything to ensure that we have comprehensive, thorough and accurate findings,” he said in an interview on government radio on Saturday.


He said it was too early to say if any of the eight hostages had been killed by gunfire from the police rescue team.


Coloma said he hoped that a planned rally in Hong Kong on Sunday to demand justice for the victims would not affect the estimated 200,000 Filipinos working there, most of them as domestic helpers.


“Hopefully it will not reach that point and that in the coming days the anger will cool down and we can both move on,” he said.


Coloma advised the Filipinos in Hong Kong, who normally gather together in huge numbers on Sunday, their day off, to take precautions in the meantime.


“Probably the best thing to do is be prudent, be careful when talking. They can tell if their physical presence in their gathering places might provoke an untoward incident,” he said.


Filipino union leaders have reported reprisals against the community by Hong Kong employers incensed at the hijacking.


Source: ph.news.yahoo.com