The inquest is scheduled to last 25 days starting from February 14, she told AFP, less than a month after Hong Kong police concluded their probe into the poorly-handled fiasco which dented relations between Manila and Hong Kong.
Officials in the southern Chinese territory have criticized Philippine authorities' handling of the hijacking by lone gunman Rolando Mendoza, and a subsequent decision to spare officials involved from tough punishments.
The coroner's court investigates the circumstances behind a person's death but does not make recommendations concerning liability and has little power to compel witnesses from outside Hong Kong to testify.
"One of my questions will never be answered -- why did Mendoza turn cold-blooded?" hostage survivor Li Yick-biu told the South China Morning Post.
"The coroner can find out the cause of death, but the answer to this we'll never know," he added.
A Philippine consulate spokesman could not be immediately reached.
Hong Kong police sent four delegations to Manila to gather evidence, including from the coach where the victims died and to conduct ballistic tests and interviews with eye-witnesses.
The hostage-taking on August 23 saw sacked police officer Mendoza seize a busload of Hong Kong tourists in Manila in a desperate bid to win his job back and be cleared of extortion charges.
Eight of the tourists and the hostage taker were killed and seven tourists wounded when police commandos launched a bungled rescue attempt in a drama played out live on television.
My Personal View.
The August 23 bus hijack in Luneta, Manila marked a big scandal in the Philippines and Hong Kong where eight Chinese national hostages were killed by lone hostage taker Rolando Mendoza. Hong Kong will hold a public inquest sending four of their delegates to investigate in the Philippines. The inquest will start on Feb. 14, scheduled to last for 25 days.
I think that this event will affect the economy of the Philippines as a whole. Foreign investors are in doubt whether they will continue to endow their business here in our country. I believe that Pres. Benigno Aquino didn’t do his job well. He should have concentrated on this issue rather than talking about his love life or other unnecessary things. Chinese government even rejected his explanations because he should have explained after the full investigation. Other countries have already given an advisory to the tourists that the Philippines is not anymore safe. I think that this incident will affect the lives of our fellow countrymen. Business investors are presently afraid to put up their business, especially those Chinese businessmen. Even Global Times called Philippines “one of the most chaotic countries in Southeast Asia”. Hong Kong residents are advised against traveling to the Philippines. I believe that it is going to take long for us Filipinos to gain back the trust of other countries after this unpleasant incident. In addition, the relationship of Philippines to Hong Kong is not anymore that tight. Although they said that they will still have a good relationship with us. But of course, it will not be like that anymore after all.
