MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Cojuangco Aquino III has declared August 25 as a day of national mourning in the wake of a bloody hostage-taking incident at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila on Monday.
National Day of Mourning declared for slain hostages, Under Proclamation No. 23, Aquino said the deaths of eight civilians “are a great loss to the peoples of Hong Kong and the Philippines.”
He added that there is a need to answer “a call for the most solemn commemoration and respect at a time of grief for our two peoples.”
The Hong Kong government earlier declared a day of mourning to express sorrow over the deaths.
“I instruct all the public institutions in the Philippines and our embassies and consulates overseas to lower the Philippine flag to half-mast on August 25, 2010,” the president said.
A copy of the proclamation was posted on Tuesday at the official government website: www.gov.ph
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