Phl gov't offers sympathies to Australians for bloody hostage-taking incident

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippine government today expressed sympathies to the Australian people for the death of two civilians in a bloody hostage-taking incident in a cafe in Sydney, Australia.

"We send our sympathies and prayers to the people of Australia because of the incident that took place. We condole with the families of those who were killed," Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a news briefing in Malacanang, the presidential palace.

He noted that no Filipino citizen was involved in the incident.

He also said the Department of Foreign Affairs continues to coordinate with the Philippine diplomatic posts in Canberra and Sydney to get an update on the situation in Sydney.

Coloma assured that authorities would make sure that similar incident would not happen in the country.

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 cafe, leaving two hostages and the hostage-taker dead.