Philippine President Aquino on Wednesday asked the people of Hong Kong for "understanding" in relation to the hostage-taking incident that claimed the lives of eight of their nationals, and apologized if any of his actions -- though unintentional -- had offended them.

The President also said, at a press conference held at the presidential palace, that he will order Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad to look into the provision of financial "assistance" to the survivors and the families of the victims, to be drawn from the President's Social Fund or government savings.

Asked for his message to Hong Kong people enraged by the government's handling of the incident, he said, "We ask for their understanding. We are correcting deficiencies that we have noted in the implementation of our operating procedures, and none of us wanted this outcome."

Responding to criticisms from Hong Kong people, posted on an anti-Philippines page in Facebook, that he allegedly grinned throughout a news briefing, the president said, "My smile might have been misunderstood....If I have offended certain people, I apologize to them. Obviously, there was no joy by attending to that situation.... I apologize if I have offended certain people who misunderstood the facial expression," he said.

Aquino said he smiles when he's happy and also when he is exasperated, and that the latter case applied during his first post-tragedy briefing.

He said that during his phone call to Tsang, he "begged for their understanding on the outcome of this situation."

Aquino said that the government has received reports that there is "a scaling down of the rhetoric that is being expressed at this current time" in Hong Kong, referring to public indignation over the incident.

In a news briefing, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda appealed to the people of Hong Kong "for some understanding" and expressed hope that they would not vent their anger on innocent Filipinos in Hong Kong.

The president also announced that Vice President Jejomar Binay, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda will comprise the high-level delegation that will travel to Beijing and Hong Kong to personally deliver the Philippine government's messages.

"In Beijing, they will personally deliver our messages to President Hu Jintao and also the foreign minister. They will then proceed to Hong Kong to talk to the Chief Executive of the SAR, Donald Tsang, to deliver our letters to the respective officials," he said.

On criticisms that he was not visible during the day of the incident, Aquino said that there was already a crisis management head and the ground commander who was "more capable in determining which forces to employ."

"I purposely tried not to interfere with everything he had to do because he had so many things on his plate, " he said.

Aquino also said that he has accepted the offer of Manila Police District Chief Rodolfo Magtibay to go on leave and that he "respects him for taking full responsibility as ground commander for the outcome of the incident."

"I have directed (PNP Chief) Gen. (Jesus) Verzosa to accept his offer of leave, he said.

In terms of handling such incidents in the future, the president said the security-related organs and other departments such as the Department of Tourism, Department of Social Welfare, and the Department of Health will meet to work out "a more fine- tuned crisis management protocol in place."