The Palace on Tuesday offered its condolences to the victims of the hostage-taking incident in a café in Sydney, Australia where three persons, including the hostage-taker, died.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said that the Filipino nation is sending its sympathies and offering condolences to the families of those killed in the Lindt cafe siege in Sydney, Australia.
“Pinaabot ng sambayanang Pilipino ang pakikiramay at panalangin sa mga mamamayan ng Australia dahil sa naganap na insidenteng ito. Nakikidalamhati rin tayo sa mga pamilya ng mga nasawing naging bihag ng hostage-taker,” Coloma said during a press briefing in Malacañang.
Secretary Coloma noted that no Filipino citizen was involved in the incident.
“Ayon sa Department of Foreign Affairs, patuloy ang pakikipag-ugnayan ng pamahalaan sa ating mga diplomatic posts sa Canberra at Sydney upang masusing mabantayan ang mga kaganapan sa lungsod ng Sydney sa Australia,” he added.
Coloma also assured that the authorities are ensuring the safety of the public against security threats.
“Lahat naman ng mga ganyang banta o panganib ay masusing tinututukan ng ating mga awtoridad sa defense establishment at intelligence community; at hindi pahihintulutan ang pagkakaroon ng panganib sa ating mga mamamayan,” he said.
On Monday, a gunman took 17 hostages at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Martin Place in central Sydney.
The siege lasted 16 hours and only ended after police stormed the café, leaving two hostages and the Iranian-born hostage-taker dead. (with a report from PND)