Manila, Philippines — Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Thursday that the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) is now looking into the possibility that some of the victims were killed or wounded by “friendly fire”

“We have yet to determine from whose guns where the shots that killed and injured the victims came from. We don’t know that yet whether all of these came from (dismissed Senior Inspector Rolando) Mendoza. If they came from either him or from the outside or both guns,” she said.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) told the IIRC that the findings of the autopsy report conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) indicated “no signs of near or contact fire.”

This development surfaced as the IIRC started analyzing the testimonies and pieces of evidence concerning the August 23 standoff in front of the Quirino Grandstand in Manila that led to the death of eight Hong Kong nationals and hostage-taker Mendoza.

“We have initial deliberation, meaning we will evaluate what we have so far. We have absorbed a lot of things, all testimonies, things we saw in the course of ocular. We will begin to see through, and segregate the relevant from irrelevant and the essentials from non essentials,” she said.

By this Friday, Friday, De Lima said the IIRC would start drafting the actual writing of report. “We have deliberation so by tomorrow (Friday) the actual writing can be made,” she said.

The panel is also determining if tourist bus driver, Angel Lubang, had just suffered mental blackout at that time as his testimony that the hostage-taker shot the victims at close range is not consistent with forensic findings.

De Lima said Lubang, driver of the hijacked Hong-Thai tourist bus, had testified before the committee that he saw Mendoza shot the victims at close range with his M16 rifle.

“But his claim that Mendoza shot the victims at close range is inconsistent with the forensic findings,” de Lima said.

While Lubang claimed that Mendoza used his M16 rifle when he shot the victims, De Lima noted that the accounts of survivors would reveal that Mendoza also used another gun.

“Ginamit din yun (handgun). What is crucial, occupying our minds is if shots were made at close range. Lubang, in his demo at the Camp Bagong Diwa, showed it was at close range, which is not consistent with forensic findings,” said De Lima.

However, de Lima stressed that forensic are not complete as the IIRC is still waiting for the result of the ballistics examination which is being done in Hong Kong.

“We are still waiting from our team that went to Hong Kong. We have to move that internal session with Philippine National Police (PNP) and NBI from Friday to Monday so that by that time, nandiyan na talaga yung ballistics exam, statements of survivors who are being interviewed by DoJ-NBI team who are currently in Hong Kong when they would be coming back,” De Lima said.

De Lima explained that they decided to do the ballistic examinations in Hong Kong which has more sophisticated equipment. “They can get the results of the ballistic examination within one or two days. Sa atin about a month,” she said.

The Justice Secretary further said it was important to establish where the shots came from. “From hostage-taker or from the assault team or other teams? Nagdududa na kami, na di lahat galing sa snipers or sa assault teams. They insist they never came, they were just near the bus, taking cover otherwise they will be easy targets” she told reporters.

“Based on bullet trajectory, there were certain shots that came from afar and not all from snipers. They gave to us their exact locations. We can see that the entry of bullets could not have been from snipers.”

De Lima said only the firearms from the Manila Police District-Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) which were turned over for ballistic examinations.

“Konti lang, 28 firearms. I insisted that all firearms from all of the teams who were deployed there even outside of MPD-SWAT, Special Action Force or any other units be subjected to ballistic. Whether or not they fired the gun, it’s standard operating procedure (SOP) for them to turn over their firearms for exam. So we can determine whether there are other shots. So I insisted on that,” she said.

“Friendly fire? Not focusing but we should never miss that. Otherwise our report will be less than thorough. There is a big possibility that there are friendly fires. Kasi nga the account of Lubang is not consistent with forensic report. Kung ganun lang ang distance dapat sabog… I directed NBI to magkaroon ng actual firing, rifle simulation.”