MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Tuesday said that the Philippine government cannot compel the Filipino witnesses requested by the Hong Kong special administrative region to testify in the public inquiry it would be conducting on the Luneta hostage-taking incident that claimed the lives of eight Hong Kong tourists.
“The witnesses on their own may refuse (to testify) and the Philippine government cannot compel them (to do so),” De Lima told reporters.
Under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), De Lima said the Philippine government can assist Hong Kong in serving the summons to the Filipino witnesses.
If they intend to testify at the Hong Kong coroner’s court, the Philippine government should also assist its nationals and “make sure all the arrangements are done properly along with the Hong Kong government.”
De Lima added that President Aquino wants to cooperate with the investigation of the Hong Kong authorities “provided that the sovereignty is protected as well as the rights of the Filipino witnesses are protected.”
“The best way to do that is to invoke the provisions of the MLAT… But offhand, per se, I don’t see anything that would compromise our sovereignty, for as long as the (Filipino) witnesses are duly protected,” she said.
“We do not want a scenario where a Filipino national who would willingly go there, and testify and answer questions only to be apprehended,” she said.
