Lawsuit against Philippine Gov't

Friday marks the third anniversary of the Manila bus hostage crisis.

Survivors and victims' relatives of the tragedy sued the Philippine government for compensation on Thursday.

In a lawsuit filed in the High Court, the former Mayor of Manila and seven other officials involved in handling the crisis are named as co-defendants.

On Aug 23, 2010, a sacked policeman shot dead seven Hong Kong tourists and their guide on a hijacked bus in Manila's Rizal Park.

The tragedy shocked the world, with the Philippine government criticized for what many believed was a bungled rescue operation.

For the last three years, survivors and family members of the victims have demanded an apology, compensation and appropriate punishment for the officials responsible for the incident.

But the Philippine government has never responded to their demands.

One of the family members said, whether the legal action succeeded or not, it represented a chance to force the Philippine government and those involved into making an apology.