Malacañang is hoping for a swift investigation into the August 23 hostage incident, particularly by the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC), so the government could focus its energy on fighting corruption and boosting economic growth.

Secretary Herminio Coloma, head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, said he hopes the nation would soon move on after the tragic hostage-taking and focus on other pressing concerns, including the start of an inquiry by Truth Commission into the alleged irregularities of the past government.

“It’s time that we should look to the future. We have many things to do strengthen the nation,” he said in Filipino over government radio.

“We hope in the next few days, we will focus on anti-corruption campaign and pursuit of economic program of the administration,” he added.

Coloma said he has talked to some groups that wanted the investigation into the hostage crisis, which left eight Hong Kong tourists dead, completed as soon as possible “so we can move forward.”

The Departments of Justice and (DoJ) and Interior and Local Government (DILG) are spearheading the IIRC’s probe into the incident.

Coloma said they wanted to see President Aquino fulfill his campaign promise on “Kung Walang Corrupt, Walang Mahirap” as well as the start of the inquiry of the Truth Commission.

The commission led by retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide has yet to begin probe the alleged corruption issues in the nine-year Arroyo government despite its creation last July.

“They want to see the Truth Commission to start and uncover the truth behind the corruption cases so there will be closure. Our people have been seeking justice for a long time now,” he said.

Coloma agreed that the corruption cases involving the past administration should be resolved soon so precious government funds are not wasted.

Meantime, the government is hopeful the anger of the people of Hong Kong towards over the hostage incident would ease soon.

Coloma said he believes the long history of friendship of the Philippines and China is deep enough to withstand any challenges, including the hostage fiasco.

“Our decades-long of friendship could not be easily be erased or set aside. We have high hopes that the emotions in the past few weeks would ease and our friendship will remain,” he said.

Last Friday, President Aquino claimed responsibility for the bungled rescue of the eight Hong Kong tourists on August 23. he said he has supervision over the Philippine National Police (PNP) at that time while Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo was assigned to focus on local government matters.

Despite the President’s taking responsibility, Coloma said the President will not resign and that those officials involved in the failed hostage rescue will still be held accountable for their actions.

Aquino accepts early retirement
The Palace official sang a different tune, though, when it came to the early retirement of the PNP Chief, Director-General Jesus A. Verzosa.

Last Saturday while attending an event at Fort Del Pilar in Baguio City, Verzosa said his decision to retire on September 15, 2010 is not connected to the failures and lapses of the PNP during the Manila hostage- taking incident.

He said the reason behind his early retirement, three months ahead of his 56th birth anniversary on December 25, 2010, is to allow younger generals to assume the top PNP post and introduce their bright ideas and programs on how to make the country’s police force a reliable one in the future.

Coloma said President Aquino has already accepted the decision of Verzosa to leave the service early.

“He made this proposal and the President has already accepted it,” Coloma said. “We want to make clear that his early retirement was agreed upon even before the hostage taking.”

Brand new start
Amid all the brouhaha over the August 23 hostage drama fiasco in Manila, the PNP is also hoping for a brand new start with the scheduled change of leadership in the organization.

Verzosa called on the 120,000-storng PNP organization to move on as he assumed full responsibility on the embarrassing hostage-taking initiated by a dismissed police official who himself got killed along with eight foreign tourists.

“It is now time to move forward and start anew,” said Verzosa. “Rest assured that that the National Police will continue its sworn duty to serve and protect as well as tender credible, effective, and reliable service to the public.”

Chief takes blame
And amid the continuous finger-pointing as to who could be held liable for incident, Verzosa said he is willing to take the blame, being the leader of the organization wherein one of its units was responsible for the botched rescue operation.

“It is imperative to take responsibility especially with regard to what has transpired last week (hostage-taking). As Chief of the National Police, I take responsibility and accountability of all PNP units and all police personnel in everything they do and failed to do,” said Verzosa.

Verzosa’s owning up to the bungled hostage-taking incident came two days after Aquino himself assumed responsibility for it.

But Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz, Jr., PNP spokesman, was quick to clarify that the hostage-taking fiasco has nothing to do with Verzosa’s decision to retire early. (With a report from Aaron B. Recuenco and Dexter A. See)