Hong Kong march denounces bungled Philippine hostage rescue

Tens of thousands marched in Hong Kong on Sunday to denounce the Philippines' bungled hostage rescue in which eight Hong Kong tourists were shot dead.

The eight Hong Kong hostages and the gunman, a sacked policeman, died in Monday's hijack and botched rescue which has been heavily criticized across the world, particularly in Hong Kong and China.

"Shame on the Philippine government and police," read one banner waved above the marchers. "We are furious," exclaimed another.

"It was a total failure," said Jo Liu, who was marching with her nine-year-old son, adding that the Philippine police were too slow and unprofessional.

Dressed mostly in black and white, many openly wept and carried flowers to mourn the eight under a blistering sun.

The failed rescue and poor security in the Philippines has posed a major political challenge for Philippine President Benigno Aquino.

The coalition of major local political parties which helped organize the rally in a rare show of unity reiterated calls for a thorough and full investigation.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Hundreds of Filipinas employed as domestic helpers in Hong Kong held a candelight vigil on their traditional day off and urged the people of Hong Kong to not direct their anger at them.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

The website of the Philippine Information Agency was hacked on Sunday, with media reporting a Chinese flag and obscure messages "Hacked by 7z1" and "Black Matrix Team" popping up when people tried to access the site. It was no longer happening by Sunday evening.

Philippine Presidential Communication Operations Office head Herminio Coloma said other websites under the Office of the President such as www.president.gov.ph and www.gov.ph were secure.

"We are alerting all government agencies to review and improve the security of their websites in view of the hacking... this afternoon," he said.