MANILA, Philippines ? Police failed to bring their masks when they used tear gas in an attempt to rescue Hong Kong tourists who were held hostage by a dismissed officer who took over their bus in Manila Monday, an official admitted before the Senate Thursday.

Manila Police District Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay made this tacit admission under intense questioning by senators during a joint hearing by the Senate committees on public order, and justice.

?They failed to bring the gas masks,? Magtibay told senators, referring to members of the Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) team that responded to the Monday bloody hostage-taking.

It was Magtibay, who ordered the assault, after shots were fired from the hostage-taker of the bus.

Magtibay said he did not send the Special Action Force (SAF) because he was made to believe that the SWAT team were trained and could handle the situation.

But he said the SAF arrived in the crime scene but did not participate because there was no order from the authority.

An appalled Senator Jose ?Jinggoy? Estrada then asked Magtibay why he still sent the SWAT team to proceed with the assault when they were ?ill-quipped.?

Magtibay told the senator that he was forced to order the assault because the ?primary concern? was to act swiftly.

This opinion was echoed by the SWAT commander of the Manila Police District, Police Chief Inspector Santiago Pascual.

But Pascual insisted, ?May kakayahan po kami kahit may kakulangan kami sa gamit [We are capable even if we lack equipment].?

Eight Hong Kong tourists and hostage-taker and former Captain Rolando Mendoza were killed during an attempt by a 200-man SWAT team to rescue the captives in the 11-hour long siege by Mendoza.