Philippines police may have shot bus hostages, say investigators

For the first time the Philippines government has said that police likely killed some of the eight people who died in a hostage situation last month

An August 23 hostage situation aboard a Manila tourist bus ended in a flurry of bullets and the deaths of eight hostages, including three Canadian citizens. Local investigators are now confirming what many had already suspected, saying that forensic evidence suggests most of the hostages were not shot at close range and that the bullets that killed them were likely fired by police outside the bus. The messy handling of the incident prompted strong condemnation from China and Hong Kong, where most of the tourists on board the bus were from. President Benigno Aquino says that the government is reviewing police practices to ensure authorities are better trained and equipped to deal with future hostage situations.