2005 Honda Civic Si tailgate stuck closed

The tailgate(hatch) on my 2005 Honda Civic Si is stuck closed. I have already tried the simple fixes dealing with the exterior hatch handle which worked for a little while, but now it will not open. I have the parts to fix it, but I can’t get the lower interior trim panel off without the hatch open. Any suggestions since Honda wasn’t nice enough to place an access panel behind the latch like in the first gen Fits.