Manila, Philippines (PNA) — The two teams of Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) sent to Hong Kong on Monday afternoon to interview survivors of the Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking incident last August 23, have recovered the three cellphones which were inadvertently turned over to Hong Kong police.

The IIRC was ordered by President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" C. Aquino III to conduct an in-depth investigation into the hostage-taking incident that claimed the lives of eight Hong Kong tourists, including the hostage-taker himself, dismissed Manila police Sr. Insp. Rolando Mendoza in front of the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta Park, Manila last August 23.

It was gathered that one of the three cellphones recovered was owned by the slain hostage-taker.

The other cellphone was lent by Manila police PO2 Dennison Rivera when the cellphone of Alberto Lubang, the bus driver of Hong Thai, had to be recharged.

However, the sim card of Rivera's cellphone was replaced by Mendoza.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) admitted that they have turned over to Hong Kong authorities all the cellphones with the presumption that they were all owned by the hostage victims.

Likewise, the Hong Kong authorities agreed to furnish the Philippines with a copy of the testimonies gathered by Hong Kong police from the survivors as provided for by the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) entered into between the Hong Kong and the Philippines.