MANILA: The bullets that killed eight Hong Kong tourists in a Manila siege likely all came from the hijacker holding them captive and not from the police rescue team, a police spokesman said.

"We can say that with a certain degreee of certainty," Philippine national police spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz told reporters when asked if the bullets that killed the tourists came from the hijacker`s weapons.

Cruz said the initial finding was based on witness accounts and testimony from the police involved in ending Monday`s hostage crisis, as well as the number of bullets found on the bus.

However, in his briefing to the press on Thursday, he said the police investigation was still ongoing and that final conclusions had not yet been made.

Ex-policeman Rolando Mendoza held a busload of Hong Kong tourists hostage in a desperate bid to have himself cleared of extortion charges and get his job back.

After a standoff of about 10 hours, a police SWAT team assaulted the bus but its members were held at bay by Mendoza who police said used the hostages as human shields.

BDST: 953 HRS, August 27, 2010