Hong Kong’s demand for apology absurd
This has reference to Isabel T. Escoda’s article “Hongkongers have long memories” (Opinion, 11/2/13). In this regard, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada should reconsider and stop his initiative to apologize to Hong Kong authorities for the events that happened in the Luneta in 2010. It should be a closed case by now.
The recent event in Tiananmen Square, which resulted in the death of a Filipino tourist, emphasizes the absurdity of the Hong Kong demand for an apology. A Filipino woman-doctor was recently killed in Tiananmen Square as a result of a terrorist attack. In 2005, another Filipino family was stabbed to death in the same square. The events in the Luneta and Tiananmen Square, together with the 9/11 Twin Towers
attacks in the United States, have all one thing in common: They can be characterized as errors or flaws in law enforcement.
In the Luneta incident, our SWAT team bungled the rescue attempt. The Tiananmen incidents, and this is also true in the 9/11 incident in New York, can be characterized as intelligence failures on the part of police authorities. There is no such thing as perfect and foolproof police agencies. We will be considered nutheads if we ask Beijing to apologize to us for the death of our tourists in Beijing. The Hong Kong officials are looking for the impossible, foolproof police protection for their nationals traveling abroad.
After 9/11 and the Luneta incident, there was a lot of finger-pointing in the United States and in the Philippines. That is the consequence of living in a free society. Nothing of this nature will happen in China because of its controlled press. Chinese citizens are not permitted to criticize their government. But in their own secretive but effective way, it is to be expected that the Chinese Communist Party will cause heads to roll in the Chinese police agencies.
We hope Mayor Estrada and our officials dismiss any further claims by Hong Kong for restitution by emphasizing that what Hong Kong is seeking, a perfectly functioning police agency, does not exist in the world. Hong Kong itself cannot guarantee the safety of every tourist who visits
Hong Kong.
—HERMENEGILDO C. CRUZ,
retired ambassador,
