Aquino says brother of hostage taker and media fueled tense situation
With the rest of the Filipino people, I wish to offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims whose lives were lost in the hostage situation at the Quirino Grandstand. The Secretary of Foreign Affairs has conveyed our deep feelings of sorrow to the Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China and the people of Hong Kong through Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang. I have tasked Secretaries Soliman and Lim to provide everything necessary for the recovery and return home of the survivors. I have directed the fullest cooperation with the Hong Kong authorities on the part of our officials.
From the onset of this incident, the hostage-taker seemed to not be belligerent, as shown by the release of hostages. These were encouraging signs.
We were going to wait him out. The idea was to let the ground commanders who are the experts in this field handle the operation with minimal interference from people who are less expert.
But the situation deteriorated rapidly when, during the course of the negotiations, he was given the letter of the Ombudsman in which she promised to personally review his case. As he was reading the contents of the letter, while talking to an unknown individual on the phone, he became increasingly agitated.
The presence of his brother also added to the tension.
At this point, he threatened to kill a hostage. The police decided to remove the brother from the scene. As the negotiators were departing, the negotiators were shot at.
Media coverage of his brother being taken into custody further agitated the hostage-taker.
Shots were fired. They seemed to be warning shots, as there was no audible indication of tumult or chaos to show that the hostages were in immediate danger.
Nonetheless, the negotiators tried to reestablish contact the hostage-taker but they were unsuccessful as the cellphone of the hostage-taker was continuously busy. He also refused to answer the throw-phone provided for him by the authorities.
The escape of the driver, combined with his reports that the hostages were being harmed, forced the assault to happen. When the vehicle began to move, and with reports that he had hand grenades, a decision was made to immobilize the vehicle as it would have made the situation even more dangerous.
As we know, the incident tragically ended in the deaths of eight innocent civilians.
We expect more of the facts to come to light and I have ordered Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to thoroughly lead this review.
Nah, e ang kwentong yan ay alam na yan ng buong mundo
“We were going to wait him out. The idea was to let the ground commanders who are the experts in this field handle the operation with minimal interference from people who are less expert.” PNoy
Ohlalala….nahuli pala!
Walo patay, ang dami pala! Grabe ang impact nyan sa Pinas!
I might have missed out the info. Sino ang bumaril sa walo, ang hostage taker o may tinamaan ang ligaw na bala ng mga pulis?
Expert daw mga pulis??? 😛
Expert daw ang mga pulis? Was he referring to the ex-policeman hostage taker? 😛
Ano itong “…When the vehicle began to move…” na binanggit ni Noynoy?
Pagmasdan ninyo iyong mga video — may nakikita ba kayong gumalaw iyong tourbus?
Yes the bus did move a bit. But the police fired at the tires and after that, the driver jumped out of the window and escaped.
Maayos ayos ang paghandle sa problema hanggang sa isinama na ang pamilya ng hostage taker sa eksena. Duon nagkaroon ng malaking problema kaya ayon sa report pinagbabaril na yung mga hostages sa loob ng bus. It has handled well until that point.
To be fair naman sa mga pulis, ginawa naman nila lahat para masave yung mga hostages. Maling call lang yung ipinarada yung pamilya. This time, buhay ang nakataya kaya sana lang, nag exercise din ng extreme caution ang broadcast media sa pag cover ng crisis. Alam na nila na ex policeman ang nanghostage. Nangyari bawat radio at tv station ay nag uunahan sa scoop.
Ayon sa report nandoon si Sec. Robredo sa Quirino Grandstand. Dapat alam na nya na kung mag tear gas na gagamitin, may complete gas mask din ang mga pulis.
Madam Chi, sniper ang bumaril dun sa hostage taker.
Even the US expert interviewed on CNN said that this case was handled with time, if it takes days, or weeks, etc…because this is a mentally distressed individual, its very unpredictable…it would have helped if he were not agitated as when he saw his brother being wrestled by policemen on the bus television…
…it appears that the hostage taker had all the advantages here, he saw and heard all troop movements on television plus blow by blow updates on what everybody else were doing…while the police couldn’t know what was happening in the bus…
…its easy to blame the police, but we must not lose focus on who is the criminal here…Noynoy perhaps having experienced how it is being shot at (and actually shot) knows that anything can happen here and nobody has the perfect response under the circumstances…its just sad…but we need to learn from this experience, not just the police, the media, the government, but all of us…maybe we have friends, relatives, who are distressed as we blog and all we have to do is to show concern, to care, to listen?
I believe the president handled the press conference quite well, he was calm, objective, didn’t go into histrionics, no “macho” heads will roll speech, and he didn’t rub any blame on anyone’s faces, and had action plans ready to improve the security forces capability in handling similar situations in the future…you should be so callous (or stupid) not to see this…
…although if I were in his place, I’d really crucify the media for putting the “story” above the lives of the people involved…sobra na, rendahan na, masyado nang abusado ang media natin…ewan ko lang kung gagayahin ang media natin ng mga kapitbahay natin sa Singapore, China, Malaysia – kasi magaling yata sila, pinakamagaling sa mundo yata…
There’s no point blaming the media for the agitation. They were there to cover it. It’s their job. Like it’s the policemen’s job to ensure that all their actions are guided by their manuals on the rules of engagement. Media presence is a very compelling factor to see to it that such rules are followed.
You hear comments from those who watched it on TV like, “Ang tatanga naman niyang media, malinaw na malinaw sa TV, sila hindi nila nakikita, wala bang mga monitor yan?” People just wanted to see more of what’s really happening inside the bus. It’s ridiculous to fault them for covering the brother when at the bus it was a total show of stupidity by the “experts” you’d think you were watching a Wow Mali prank.
First, it took them what, an hour, to discover that there was such a thing called emergency exit door at the back of the bus? They wasted all the time smashing the glass windshields and doors with a 20-pound sledgehammer that kept falling inside the bus I think hitting an already dead male hostage at the steps every time they lost grip.
Next, the rope pull. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to know that pulling the door tied to the rope at a very obtuse angle, and one edge anchored on the door jamb while the other edge is bolted on hinges to the other leg of the jamb is practically pulling the weight of the whole bus. Not to mention that such automatic doors are secured to the hydraulic ram by bolts too. The only reasonable direction to pull it was perpendicular to the bus, that is if the rope can carry such load before the rollers break off from the track which they were hoping to achieve.
And did you see that part where one cop tossed a teargas cannister through the emergency door only to hit the door frame it burst under the pickup truck that the cops outside had to fall far back to avoid the smoke? By the way, not one cop was wearing a gas mask you’d ask why they always have it when they are up against unarmed rallyists like in this photo. Or when they’re up against media men in hotel lobbies which doors have been rammed by military tanks.
Hey, it would have ended differently (or continue on for more hours) if Mendoza has had a gas mask, wouldn’t it?
I agree partially Jug sa pag rerenda sa media. Ang sa akin lang, kapag may mga buhay na nakataya, malaking pag iingat dapat ng media. Alam naman na may TV sa bus na mapapanood ng hostage taker kung anong nangyayari sa labas, may epekto ito sa operation ng mga pulis. Unknowingly, nabibigyan nila ng idea ang hostage taker sa situation sa labas ng bus. May undue advantage na sa hostage taker.
Mas mabuti pa nga na walang pulitiko na umeksena. Si Robredo nakatago at si Isko Moreno lang ang nakita kong nagpa interview. This matter is an entirely police matter kaya dun sa mga naghahanap nasaan ang mga local or national officials, tama lang na hindi sila pumapel. Kung meron man, siguro si Vice President Binay na naka Rambo attire ang tawagan.
Other epic fails.
There was no police cordon, as usual, usiseros and media were right outside the bus even though it hasn’t been cleared of explosives which is SOP after taking control of the scene. The pouring rain did not stop them thick crowd of uzis at all. That’s the spirit!
Earlier, when there was a need to communicate, the cops’ main negotiator brought a handset with a very, very long cable. I blew my coffee all over, fortunately not over the TV set. I was waiting for Joey De Leon to show himself on screen.
By the way, the issue about the brother being covered by media could have been avoided had police cordoned the area. Including the Luneta Detachment.
Nung hinuli sila Ellen at yung mga taga-media kasama sina Trillanes at Danny Lim sa Manila Pen, pinagmumura natin yung gobyerno dahil pati media tinalian ng cable tie ang mga kamay. Nung gustong ipa-sanction ni Sir Raul O. Gonzales sa NTC ang radio at TV stations na di nila kakampi, kaliwa’t kanang batikos.
Aba, ngayon, media na ang kaaway. I don’t think I will miss Gonzales. Nor the supporters of Putot.
Tongue, I have nothing against media covering such incident but they should at least not show and broadcast the positions of the police as this will hamper their operations.
Maaasahan ko ikaw talaga, Tongue. :). You always tell the situation as it is. Ok ngarud, salamat ng dako.
Salamat kuya Oblak, sniper pala and tumirador kay Mendoza.
Mike they were cops. Both sides. I’m sure not one side wanted to hurt the other at first. That’s why it dragged on. A show of superior force on the ground, including snipers on the grandstand roof being broadcast on TV would make Mendoza soften his position and revise his plan. After all, his purpose was to speed up the resolution of his MR which assurance was by then already granted by the Ombudsman, no less, and in writing. He already achieved that. It was just a matter of time and it will be over peacefully.
Keeping the assaulting cops’ positions secret is silly. He sees his rear windshield being smashed open, the front and the glass door, too. The sniper’s lasers was obviously being pointed to the ground to show him there WERE snipers. He was a decorated cop and a lawyer he was no simpleton at all.
What the cops weren’t prepared for was that nuisance of a brother. I predicted in Ellen’s Facebook post that Mendoza would surely retaliate. He did. There were several ways of getting the message to him about his brother’s situation, not only radio or TV, but cellphone call or text or even verbally, although long shot.
Unanimously, everybody believes this single act of the cops, aggravated by the wrong info by the driver, triggered the shootings. No amount of deflection will change that. When the brother came with them to the detachment they should have brought him inside where they control the factors. Instead, they allowed him near the uzis and media. And that would be willful neglect (a sure prescription for getting fired) on the mediamen’s part if they have a clear shot yet they were not covering.
sa ibang bansa protectado at minamahal ng gpv’t ang mga tourists kasi malaking pera ang iniwan sa bayan…pero sa atin ay iba ata! hindi ko masisisi ang mga ibang tao kung ayaw na pumunta sa Filipinas..noon ang delicadong lugar ay Mindanao o ang mga bayan na may mga NPA…but this is different the incident happened sa Manila at sa grandstand pa..nakita nating lahat ang grandshowing sa grandstand. live in action..a thrilla in Manila Grandstand..what a tragedy! paano uunlad ang Pilipinas sa ganito?
sa Israel ang #1 industry nila ay tourism…kaya protected ang mga tourist..kahit ano pa ang agam agam na delicado ang lugar…pero sa atin pala iba..nakakatakot..ang buhay nga naman… Mindanao seems a safer place….
I believe the Cops missed one very simple rule of securing the area under police activities, by cordoning it from the public including the access by the Media and the public and the media will only be getting their news releases from official Police updates. that way, all delicate part of operation will remain confidential until concluded.
I watched the entire TV coverage kaya napuyat ako. Maraming nagkamali dito hindi lang and mga police o media pati ang mga ususero din. At one point, a bystander got hit on her foot by an astray bullet.
If indeed the Ombudsman started this whole charade, gagawa na rin lang din ng trabaho, palpak pa. Yung mag maliliit na tao lang ang kaya niyang bigyan ng parusa. Yan tuloy nanghostage na si Mendoza and in desperation, killed the tourists and himself. If only his anger was not triggered, baka unti unting nakalabas ang mga hostages. Yung tiyaga ni Vice Mayor para magnegotiate ng paisa isang turista eh nadiskaril tuloy.
in the end, we all hope that the government and the police will learn from this singular incident (as we had learned from the Polytechnic massacre in Montreal) and start preparing for the next incident and make sure that it will not end in loss of innocent lives. a standard should be established on how to deal with this type of crisis with a clear guidelines to the individuals or teams involved so as to save the precious time which is of the most important element in this type of crisis. let it not happen again under the same circumstances.
Pati yung mga gamit ng mga police eh wala. Ni gas mask wala. Tila yata napunta lahat ang pera sa mga Euro generals.
Pero malaki rin ang naging papel ng media sa gulong nangyari. Naalala ko ang sabi ni Robredo kanina sa Unang Hirit, na-agitate ang hostage taker ng makita niya sa tv ang nangyayari sa kanyang kapatid.
Nalimutan ata nila me tv sa loob ng bus.
I believe Mendoza didn’t like what he read when he saw the letter of the Ombudsman already. His demands were imposible to meet – “reinstatement?” kidnappers demanding ransom would have been more reasonable…he was prepared to “sayangin and buhay niya” he was prepared to die and take others with him…it was just a matter of time…just the same, the media, unbridled, showed everyone how bungled it was, walang magaling sa situation na yun, maliban lang sa armchair generals…since the administration will not censure media, they must take responsibility for their actions and police their ranks…
The reality of it is – this Mendoza fellow is a nut case. Being a cop he should have know that taking hostages is not going to help his case. Dismissed for being corrupt, he was there to take innocent lives with him.
A terrorist as he was, he should have shot him at the earliest opportunity!
HK leader Donald Tsang reaction:
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=447196#ixzz0xTTJLl9e
Di daw nya ma kontak si PNoy during the hostage crisis. Tsk, tsk… 😛
In my view, Justice could have played a big role in this incident. If one is accused of a wrong doing, the expected action is to reprimand without pay so long as the action has basis. Then, conclude the case with the Ombudsman and if found guilty, officially terminate his/her employment and apply possible jail time, if warranted. Hustisya ito. Forfeiture of the accused retirement funds is another matter depending on how our law defined this.
Kung ang isang tao na natanggal sa trabaho, may kasalan man o wala, tapos nawalan ng trabaho, pang-retiro, at nakabitin pa ang kaso. One can wonder what kind of psychological effect this may have to the person. As can be seen, he insanely forced himself with the issue with tragic results. We can’t just blame the guy for what he did but no matter his reasons are, his actions is unacceptable. Idamay ang walang malay. Our system may have played a role here. We need to seriously implement the necessary fix to avoid this situation to ever happen again, specially in government service. Seriously!
We have to take into account what his present “real” mental status was before the hostage taking. Putting my shoes in his (Mendoza), was a hard pill to swallow considering: 1)he had less power after being kicked out of the police force, 2) his happy days were pretty much over, 3) his hatred for those behind his dismissal knowing they’re all in the same boat as being corrupt. I’d like to think also he wasn’t in the right frame of mind, coz if he was; his main target should have been those behind his removal.
In hindsight, his only demand was to be reinstated; would the scenario been different if the authorities pretended to agree, just to see if he will release all the hostages? We will never know. Personally, this whole incident was recklessly done in haste only because of his mental state. I’m sure they could have sent a bishop or a priest to calm him down.
“What is essential is invisible to the eye…”
– Alice in Wonderland
Who benefits from this? Lets follow the money trail…who will get paid for showcasing the misery of our fellow Filipinos here? someone is bound to make money, its certainly not the police…certainly not the dead cop, not the dead hostages, not the tourism industry, not the government, hell – not the president…who? – the media…
tru blu,
The police had no control of the situation, they were blind as bats as to what Mendoza was up to, meanwhile the guy had information overload thanks to accurate updates on television…
…we all rise to our level of incompetence, thats what happened to the police, they responded in the way they knew how, the way they were trained or untrained) and equipped (or unequipped)…that is a fact here…what I don’t like is showcasing this inadequacy for the whole world to see…
…kung ang anak mo bobo iababalita mo ba sa lahat ng tao, isisigaw mo ba para malaman ng nakakarami?
Sobra na, dapat umayos na tong mga to…
…then again what are we to do? Its probably right to stop blaming anyone, its all over anyway…
Lets just support our leadership in whatever they decide to do pray this never happens again…
Lets learn from this experience like mature human beings…and for pete’s sake, if we have millions for junkets to Russia, please set aside a few thousands for training and equipping our policemen…on the other hand, the blow by blow documentation of media will serve as an important case study…
I honestly believed that the decision to shoot him dead was already made upon learning who the hijacker was, it’s just me.
Then again, that ever lingering phrase comes into play; the scenario is totally different if this mentally unstable cop was “very well-connected”.
I’m just curious if the police even bothered to get information from the hostages who were released earlier regarding the situation inside the bus. They were the best resource persons, right?
Dapat. They should have.
It appears now that they didn’t do the most basic such as enlisting the help of the operator of the bus company to find out emergency features of the bus. Like how to open the door from outside.
I hope we learn lessons from this incident. Para naman worth the lives lost.
Nakakahiya itong nangyaring ito, kitang kita ng buong mundo kung gaano ka incompetent itong fake president ng Pinas.
Ayon sa link sa itaas, ano ang sabi ng Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang?
“Tsang said he had been trying to contact Philippine President Benigno Aquino III since 4pm, about five hours after the policeman hijacked the tour bus carrying the 21-member Hong Kong tour group. But ALL EFFORTS FAILED, he said.”
Read more: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=447196#ixzz0xV0ojago
Paanong makikipag usap si Noynoy sa matataas na opisyal ng ibang bansa sa ganyang crisis e siguradong ma e stress sya na mag tri trigger ng mental retardation dahil autistic nga. Kaya nga lahat ng mga opisyal nya o cabinet nya e bahala sila kung anong dapat nilang gawin, off hand kuno ang palusot ng mga kampon ng mga yellow liars.
1. re: if the bus moved. umandar yung bus. kitang-kita ko sa video ng bbc. i dont know what other video people have access to.
2. re: other countries take care of tourists while pinoys do not. not all the time. remember the filipino family who went to visit china as tourists a couples of years back? father and daughter (i think were killed by a crazy person). btw another crazy person killed the father-in-law of u.s. men’s volleball coach in 2008 olympics in beijing. point is huwag mag-generalize. may pagkukulang ang pinas pero be fair.
3. re: police wanted to take down mendoza anyway. false. may time na nasa estribo si mendoza. they could have taken him down then but they didnt. i wish they had.
4. re: family members of hostage taker on the scene. did they consult a psychologist on the wisdom of this. family members normally heighten emotions of people and make them more unstable.
5. re: noynoy should have talked to SAR leader Tsang. Tinawagan ba ng Chinese pm si GMA nung pinatay yung mga pinoy tourists sa China? I truly dont know the answer to this so if anyone could answer that would be great.
police needs better training on hostage taking. ambagal nila kumilos. rapid-fire dapat ang pasok sa bus. precise. di ganoon kadami ang napatay kung ensayado sila.
kailangan makipag train with other countries. saw a video earlier, in 2-3 seconds pasok na ang bus. step 1 get rid of the glass (by blowing it up) while a couple of guys lift a ramp to the window as the other team members run through it to get inside the bus. galing. ambilis.
at bakit nga ba hindi swat or saf or some elite/specialized group ang in charge?
oh well, hindsight. kawawa lang yung victims lalo na yung namatayan ng 3 (out of 5) family members.
“3. re: police wanted to take down mendoza anyway. false. may time na nasa estribo si mendoza. they could have taken him down then but they didnt. i wish they had.” – masha
Take him down for not committing a crime?? His becoming a hijacker gave the police a more appropriate reason to kill him. To suggest they should have killed him before is beyond me UNLESS you pretty much knew Mendoza as a real bad ex-cop, even so, you don’t just go shoot the man….that’s insanity.
By the way the Police’s forcible arrest of the brother and relatives of Mendoza worsened the scenario. Had the police focused on Mendoza and the hostages maybe it might have had a better result.
Where is your promise, Mr President, to protect all your people? You and your police represent to protect all people not to hurt people. Mendoza’s action was a result of injustice.
Mas marami nadamay pati pa ang mga walang malay na mga turista na tumutulong sa pagunlad ng bansa.
Take him down for not committing a crime?? His becoming a hijacker gave the police a more appropriate reason to kill him. To suggest they should have killed him before is beyond me UNLESS you pretty much knew Mendoza as a real bad ex-cop, even so, you don’t just go shoot the man….that’s insanity.
————————–
Very true. There was a time when Mendoza was waving to everybody, he was in full view of the snipers, if he was shot right then what would have been the reaction, another human rights issue na naman?
As usual xman is up to his “no logic” nonsense comments na naman…situations like these test our resolve to be better as a people, as a country, if we succumb to rebellion against the president or our leaders it’ll be worst, we would be the cautionary tale in Asia, or laughing stock as your logic seems to show…
Fact of the matter is, crime happens everywhere, nothing could beat the sheer number of casualties and deaths in 911, and it happened to the most powerful country on earth…eh tayo pa kaya? come on fake man, think! ooops, xman pala… 🙂
The president doesn’t even have to apologize to anyone, bakit siya bang nag-utos nun? He can only say he extends sympathy to those concerned and gives assurances that this will not happen again…
…kung gusto mo fakeman, este xman, ikaw na mag apologize for your fellow deranged…
“tru blue – August 24, 2010 2:32 pm
“3. re: police wanted to take down mendoza anyway. false. may time na nasa estribo si mendoza. they could have taken him down then but they didnt. i wish they had.” – masha
Take him down for not committing a crime?? His becoming a hijacker gave the police a more appropriate reason to kill him. To suggest they should have killed him before is beyond me UNLESS you pretty much knew Mendoza as a real bad ex-cop, even so, you don’t just go shoot the man….that’s insanity.”
what are you talking about not committing a crime? at that point he had already taken the bus hostage. THAT is a crime. in hostage situations, if feasible, you take the first opportunity to resolve the matter without hurting the hostages. if you have a shot, you have to take it. you might not get another chance. not to take it IS INSANITY.
I wonder if we demanded an apology or even called up the HK authorities to explain when this happened to a Filipino family in Hong Kong? wala, hindi nga news eh…
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/164782/Acid-attack-ruins-HK-holiday-of-Pinoy-family
“tru blue – August 24, 2010 12:13 pm
I honestly believed that the decision to shoot him dead was already made upon learning who the hijacker was, it’s just me.”
oh and plus this was the argument. if this were true they would have taken out the HOSTAGE-TAKER who is committing the crime of HOSTAGE-TAKING at the earliest opportunity which could have been when he was in the entry way of the bus. naman sinusundan ko lang logic nitong statement above.
masha,
Its in the police rule book, you arrest guys not shoot them as pre-emptive strike…you need the military for that…remember they have to abide with rules of engagement, etc., etc…
Its just unfortunate, I believe, Meandoza, to the last minute, was given the benefit of the doubt, but nobody ever knew how “insane” he was already inside…he should have just killed himself if he wasn’t happy with the cruel world anymore, nangdamay pa siya…
juggernaut,
havent you heard? this only happens daw in pinas. pariwara sa welfare ng tourists at di tumatawag sa mga lider ng ibang bansa.
noy, kowtow ka daw sa mga chinese. sige na para matigil na ang mga fans mo.
juggernaut
les-pu issue ito. di military. national security ang military. domestic law and order ang police.
in hostage situations, quick response teams or swats are given the go ahead to shoot when you have the opportunity. the primary concern is not the hostage taker but the hostages. lagi yan. sop yan. ewan ko lang sa pinas.
re: insanity/instability unknown. that is true of every hostage-taker. kaya nga sila nanng hostage kasi unstable sila eh. that is why in hostage situations, if you have a shot you take it.
masha,
Apparently, the one handling the situation didn’t want to make that decision…it could have been another media frenzy, but on the other hand, the hostages could have been safe…
kailangan makipag train with other countries. saw a video earlier, in 2-3 seconds pasok na ang bus. step 1 get rid of the glass (by blowing it up) while a couple of guys lift a ramp to the window as the other team members run through it to get inside the bus. galing. ambilis.
——————————-
True…now if only we can fix those leaking funds so they end up in training, equipment, etc…
…so this year is very revealing, we now know where all the budget went to…even now we are experiencing the effects of greed and corruption…the question is, will we learn from this, will the corrupt officials finally realize that for each peso they divert from the actual project, disaster follow?
“may time na nasa estribo si mendoza. they could have taken him down then but they didnt. i wish they had.” – masha
The above quote triggered my response. I had the impression you inferred the cops “to kill Mendoza” on the streets if they wanted to even before the hijacking occured, thus my query, “without committing a crime?”. I don’t know what “estribo” mean.
re # 41, rvera70, welcome to this blog.
You raised a good point there.
Some explanation: Sometimes, comments here are placed on moderation especially if the moderator is unfamiliar with the number. It’s an automatic thing.
Nothing personal in that.
Please take note that I edited your comments. Please don’t unnecessarily capitalize words because it does not make for good reading.
Readers here are intelligent. They understand your message even if the words are not capitalized. Thank you.
Statement from the Foreign Minister of People’s Republic of China:
On the evening of 23 August, 2010, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi talked with his Philippine counterpart Foreign Secretary Romulo, over phone on the hijacking of Hong Kong tourists. Minister Yang said that 21 HK tourists were hijacked in Manila around 9 a .m. on August 23. The Chinese Government attached great importance to the incident and urged the Philippine side to conduct rescue while guaranteeing the safety of the hostages. Six of the HK tourists were released before noon time after negotiations. At about 7:40p.m., the Philippine police launched an assault to free the remaining hostages. Many of the HK tourists were killed or injured.
Minister Yang said that the Chinese Government was deeply shocked by the incident, expressed grave condolences to the victimized Hong Kong compatriots and strongly condemned the atrocity by the hostage-taker against innocent tourists. The Chinese side has urged the Philippine side to launch a thorough investigation, provide detailed report to the Chinese side, exert the utmost to save the injured and properly deal with the aftermath of the incident.
The Chinese Government had sent a working team to the Philippines to deal with the aftermath together with the Chinese Embassy. The Chinese side urged the Philippine side to take concrete measures to ensure the safety and security of the Chinese citizens in the Philippines .
Romulo said that the Philippine Government expresses deep sorrow and disappointment for the incident. He said that the Philippine Government will make every effort to save the injured, conduct a thorough investigation, disclose the results to the Chinese side as soon as possible, and provide assistances to the Chinese working team.
The two sides agreed to keep close coordination and cooperation on properly dealing with the aftermath.
juggernaut,
usually nga call ng negotiator (who is usually well-versed in psychology as well) to hold off the shot if best scenario of nobody dying can still be achieved. pero in this case kasi pag pumasok na si mendoza wala na silang visual. blind na sila. kaya nung nakita ko na nasa estribo si mendoza, inisip ko na sana hinatak na lang nila at the least or took the shot at worst. wala namang kasamahan na matitira sa loob, di ba? ewan ko. baka may booby trap sa loob…
tru blu
estribo means the area of the bus where the steps are; going up to the driver.
i saw a picture of him there with the bus door open and he was talking to, i presume, a policeman/policemen.
masha,
yes, you have a point there. the negotiator had the opportunity to seize up mendoza’s frame of mind from the start, he probably didn’t even find time to study his history, or profile him, whatever that is they do…we need people with expertise in this area, or else the police will always look like gun happy, shooting teargas in, rushing inside, running outside again (stumbling over each other), coughing, with tears in their eyes – because they didn’t have gas masks…and fumbling with the bus door when any bus driver can teach them how to open the hydraulics from somewhere else, etc….
…looking at what happened I feel pity for these policemen, they obviously were doing the best they could, under the circumstances, the only way they knew how…these people risked their lives after all…we could have at least prepared them well?
What in saw last night is a complete breakdown of police operation. from handling the negotiations, securing the area, confirmation of data gathered and even the actual assualt on the bus. as a result, high collateral damage. i think there is really a need for more training in these areas under this kind of situation urgently. sayang ang mga inosenteng buhay.
bottomline, the culprit here is mendoza, we’ll just have to come to grips with what happened and work together to do better next time…
Ms ELLEN masyado ka na mang nakaka offend ,Filipino ka ba ?nakakainsulto ang mga mensahe mo, If our Blog is for Truthful Info You have to show the real message at least dyan mo makikita ang reaksyon ng mga mambabasa mo, kaya lalo tayong iniinsulto nang iba kapwa mo iniinsulto mo,
Magpakatotoo tayo.
You mean that your readers are intelligent? what do you mean of that? That’s my opinion nothing personal. In US we have democracy, we have the right to speak and react.
Thank You.
rver70,
When you enter someone’s house you behave accordingly, properly, hindi ibig sabihin maging totoo mangbastos na…you should be intelligent enough to see the difference…and hindi lahat sa US tama, tingnan mo bankcrupt na sila…
You mean that your readers are intelligent? what do you mean of that?
——–
baka gusto mong sabihin “what do you mean by that?” hmmmm dugay na gyud ka sa US tonto pa gihapon?….hmmmmm…
juggernaut, anong pinagsasabi mo dyan? may binabastos ba ako
? hindi ako ang naghostage at lalong hindi ako ang umaresto sa mga kapatid ng nanghostage at lalo namang hindi ako ang Presidente na nagsabi na and dahilan ng lalong tesyon
ay ang media at mga kapatid ng naghostage. Akoy isang Filipino na may malasakit sa kapwa ko at sa mga banyagang tumutulong sa ating bansa, so wag mong insultuhin ang kapwa mo at ang US dahil nakikinabag ka rin sa tulong ng US,
kaya mind your own ok, i respect youre opinion please respect others opinion. Kung talagang isa ka sa Intelligent Readers.
One laudable thing. The Aquino government is humble enough to admit there were mistakes. DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo said it.
The PNP also admitted lapses and defects while they were monitoring the hostage crisis.
.
The PNP Spokesman said these observations include, among others, 1) poor handling of the hostage negotiation; 2) side issues and events that further agitated the hostage-taker; 3) inadequate capability, skills, equipment and planning of the assault team; 4)improper crowd control, and inadequate training and competence of assault team leader; and 5) non-compliance to media relations procedures in hostage situations.
Napanuod ko ang hostage drama kagabi. okay ang mga swat, parang tunay na tunay sila. naglakad sa gilid ng bus, naka helmet, naka bullet proof vest and may kalasag pa. pero mas bilib ako dun sa isang pulis na nagdala ng lubid. naglakad ng parang walang ano sa gilid ng bus, inaayos ang lubid na itatalis sa pinto. nilampasan ang mga swat. yun ang tunay na matapang, walang bullet proof vest, binaliktad lang ang short-pit at sya pa nagtali sa pintuan ng bus para mahila. sayang nga lang at hindi kasing tatag nya ang lubid kaya bumigay.
Sana lang sa susunod eh may dala silang folding ladder, maski yung gamit lang sa bahay para makapanik sa medyo mataas, hirap na hirap kasi sila makapanik eh. tsaka baka meron namang medyo magaan gaan na maso, parang ang bigat nung ginamit nila. 2-3 beses na pukpok lang eh tigil na sila. kung tumawag nga sila ng isang bukas-kotse gang, baka nde na nila kailangan masuhin ang mga salamin ng bus.
pero all in all, pinakita pa rin ng pulis na gagawin nila trabaho nila. kung may kakulangan man sila sana lang ay mapag aralan nila ang mga naging mali upang kung magkaron ulit ng ganon engkwentro, mas handa na sila.
Sa media, ginawa nyo lang ang trabaho ninyo. Kung may nakikita mang mali sa pagganap nyo sa inyong mga gawain ay sana lang din maging simula ng pagkakaron ng magandang pagpapahayag na naaayon at angkop sa sitwasyon.
ang lahat ng ito ay kasalanan at kagagawan ng hostage-taker. ang nangyari ay isang panggising sa ating lahat upang ipakita na wala tayong kahandaan sa mga ganyang bagay.
Oh well, another investigation, lengthy reports, and more lengthy recommendations.
Darn, wasn’t this the very same issue at the time of Ducat’s hostage-taking? The negotiations dragged on for too long, it was taking its toll on the pitiful kids. The need for trained negotiators was primordial yet yesterday it was all Isko Moreno and that guy in orange T-shirt who got them the fuel, a crazy landline phone, and Jollibee who doesn’t even appear to have the stature to promise Mendoza anything. It was fucking frustrating from the very beginning. Ducat to this day does not even regret what he has done because he negotiated with lying politicians known to promise you the moon and the stars. He admits he was foolish to believe the “negotiators” Bong Revilla and Chavit Singson would deliver as promised. But hey, they made it to prime time news, precisely, didn’t they? Ducat released his hostages at exactly 7:00PM. Nothing beats FREE media mileage of that magnitude on an election campaign.
Next, the issue of a ground commander was raised and the overall decision-maker on site should have been resolved by this time. That was barely three years ago, for chrissakes. It didn’t appear that a single officer was calling the shots, one group was breaking in into the front door, the rear group got their sledgehammer then they brought it back again to the front group.
Everybody knows that a firetruck is tooled for that purpose (winches, axes, hammers, ladders and high pressure water cannons) and would have provided good cover for more troops to position alongside the bus – not under the windows.
Then again as in the time of Ducat, the police cordon was missing. That would have filtered any and all info if media was kept at bay that even if the hostage-taker had TV or radio, with a single spokesman in charge, the cops can use it to their advantage instead of it being a liability. Isko Moreno says the brother was cooperative with them but changes immediately as soon as TV cameras were pointed at him. They already knew the problem, why didn’t they immediately solve it?
A trained commander should know how to navigate around all the roadblocks crossing his path. At the time of the brother’s antics, they were convinced Mendoza was “theirs”. They even asked him as he was given the Ombudsman’s letter, “OK na sa iyo yan?” “Yes, sir!” “Pwede na iyan?” “Yes, sir”. It was not seen on TV what they say that the brother was shouting to him to reject it.
Their immediate reaction was to remove him. Then they brought him to the detachment in front of all the media and kibitzers to devour instead of bringing him inside the building where they have total control over him. And over the crowd.
Big blunder.
The negotiators should have recognized at that point that they were no longer negotiating with Mendoza ALONE, but with Mendoza and his brother. That they left him outside made the problem worse, they now have to deal not just with the brothers, but with the other relatives, the crowd, and yes, media, too.
What seemed a few minutes earlier like it was just about over, took a turn for the worse. It didn’t help that they were now seen on TV forcing the relatives apart, they had to bodily carry the brother to the mobile car. Again, the cops displayed their all-so-familiar callousness and cruelty (as in Ted Failon’s case, remember?) that anything they have achieved thus far just all went to waste. Especially if Mendoza saw it on the bus’ TV.
Makes us wonder, whatever happened to all those investigations, recommendations, and measures that the cops should have taken right after the Ducat episode? Did anyone really learn anything from it? It’s effing frustrating to realize these things continue to happen and with a different set of characters, manifests its ugly self once more just proves that Pinoys’ memories are really as short as that of a goldfish. When will we ever learn?
Incompetents still rule the bureaucracy, while the corrupt officers live up to their jetsetting image by attending foreign socials with their counterparts while carrying obscene amounts of money to buy expensive watches and chandeliers or whathaveyou, at the expense of an ill-equipped, ill-trained, and worse, of unjustly-removed decorated cops.
Never mind the citizens. It’s just THEIR money anyway.
So there. Nailabas ko rin.
well said tongue…nobody could have put it better… 🙂
now if only we can get the authorities to read this….
…actually, even at the start pa lang, I was thinking the endgame would result to the death of the hostage taker and the hostage via gun happy policemen…it did, except there were no gun happy policemen, just tired and frustrated ones…
…to those euro generals and other PNP officials enjoying their unexplained wealth – mahiya naman kayo!
Tongue, one difference this time is, President Aquino and Interior Secretary seem sincere in their desire to do right. But then the perversion of the system is so deep…I sense that they are being co-opted. That can be gleaned in P-Noy’s statement last night. Putting the blame on the hostage taker’s brotehr and the media while absolving the police.
At least today Robredo admitted the lapses of the police.
Tomorrow, my column is why Donald Tsang,Hongkong chief executive, was not able to talk to P Noy.
You will be flabbergasted.
Olan @ # 29..i agree with your view in regards to the way the justice system dealt with a dismissed employee…Firstly, the forfeiture of benefits which the employee had contributed during his years of employment (pensions funds and other salaried deducted benefits and some other benefits set aside and invested on behalf of employees) i also believe is unjustified. even our convicts get their pensions (this will be reviewed due to public outcry) upon reaching the qualifying age with the penitentiary as their mailing address…the reason that this maybe stopped because as convicts they are already enjoying freebies and allowances with their “free” board and lodging and other personal and medical needs.
even suspended employees due to criminal case or administrative cases are paid until their cases are resolved..i guess it is under the principle of presumption of innocence.
Rvera70, tawa ako ng tawa sa sinabi mo tungkol sa intelligent readers.
Rvera70, yong tinutukoy ni Ellen na intelligent readers dito ay yong katulad ni juggernaut (mr. yes-man), mga yellow liars, mga baligtad ang mga pangangatwiran nila.
Isa sa halimbawa na baligtad na katwiran nya sa #44:
“The president doesn’t even have to apologize to anyone, bakit siya bang nag-utos nun? He can only say he extends sympathy to those concerned and gives assurances that this will not happen again…
…kung gusto mo fakeman, este xman, ikaw na mag apologize for your fellow deranged…”
Imagine that? Eight HK nationals died, and their yellow liar-in-chief Noynoy does not have to apologize to anyone.
Look at the way he talk? He had been a yes-man in military for over 20 years that’s why nothing is coming out of his brain but a mantra of yes-man.
Nakakahiya talaga na hindi nakipag usap si Noynoy sa counter part nya na si Tsang. Ngayon ay magpapadala pa ng high level delegation sa HK para areglohin to?
Bakit hindi tawagan ni Noynoy sa telepono si Tsang ngayon at sya ang makipag usap DIRECTLY kay Tsang? Bakit takot na takot syang makipag usap DIRECTLY? Baka ba lumabas yong pagka utal utal o unintelligent verbal blah ng isang autistic? Napaka incompetent talaga ng pekeng gobyernong ito. Off Hand Policy kuno, sinong niloko nyo mga yellow LIARS?
xman,
Read this and weep…
Donald Tsang, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was said to be upset that he could not reach Noynoy at the height of the bloody crisis. Hence, the Palace arranged for Noynoy to call Tsang.
What nonsense. If Tsang is in the habit of kowtowing to his Beijing masters, Noynoy should have been more self-respecting. Aquino is, after all, the head of state and head of government of the Republic of the Philippines.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/08252010/edit.html
RE: ….pero all in all, pinakita pa rin ng pulis na gagawin nila trabaho nila. kung may kakulangan man sila sana lang ay mapag aralan nila ang mga naging mali upang kung magkaron ulit ng ganon engkwentro, mas handa na sila.~Kulitus
To be fair sa mga Kapulis, nothing personal kundi realidad ang isyu…kung TAMA papurihan at kung PALPAK naman e dapat e TAMA di ba.
Ngayon punto for punto…walang excuse sa nangyari kasi nga, trabaho ng Otoridad ang ang hostage-taking na yan…so dapat in the first place, alam nila ang kanilang gagawin at SOP na yan?
Pero ano ang nakita ng buong madla…ang KATOTOHAN sa likod ng kanilang kapalpakan, di pala sila handa sa ganitong scenario e bakit aakuin nila ang ganitong trabaho.
Ibig bang sabihin sila lang ang PNP personnel, sige tama sila na nasa jurisdiction nila ang hostage dram…ang tanong e ganito, handa ba sila o may kakayanan na gampanan ang pagresobla ng crisis na ito?
Sino ang matutuwa sa kapalpakan ng PNP in general…at huwag natin isisi sa iilan lamang, kasi under sa kanilang command ang sinumang PNP personnel.
Ngayon maghahanap ng damay na kesyo ang media daw o kaya itong kapamilya ni Kapitan Mendoza ang nagaggriviate ng situation…poncio pilato style, di na yan IN.
11 hours ang inabot ng hostage drama ngayon…ano ginawa nila, pinanood ang mga nangyayari at ipinaubaya sa mga kabiskawt na ang dala e maso at tirgas na expire pa pala.
Naging katawa-tawa sa madlang pipol di lamang sa Pinas kundi sa buong mundo ang otoridad…wala palang binatbat, kundi matatapang lamang kung ang mga raleyista ang kaharap o kaya mga dimakabasag-pinggang Pinoy.
Kung armado na pala ang katunggali e kita nýo nangyari not Once, but several times di ba.
Ang laging alibi…walang budget ang PNP kaya di matustusan ang pangangailangan ng kanilang departamento.
Kaya heto nagkasya na lamang sa maso at tirgas…kasi nga medyo makakatipid sa budget, plus isang bala lang ang katapat ng mga kriminal tapos ang isyu.
Let’s have the background case. I’m putting together what I still remember of the emails and some of the recent events.
What started it all was a viral email I received in my mailbox some two years ago, purportedly originating from a certain Bob Kalaw (I’m not sure if I have forwarded it to some of you here. I think Magno circulated something similar) who claims his son was a victim of hulidap by some farmville cops (cops who plant drugs on your person to extort money). Of course, the email caught fire knowing how we hate these characters.
Perfect scenario – a son who’s a chef at Mandarin Hotel, an elite family name (Kalaw), criminal cops who plant shabu and supposedly made the kid swallow a whole packet of the drug. Complete ingredients for a viral email – a chef cooked it! Of course it first circulated among the konyos and the sosyaleras (I guess shabu users and ecstasy pillheads, too who can relate to the situation) and soon made it to other web fora at awesome speed.
To cut it short, apparently it was all a made-up story by the supposed victim who feared his father would find out that he was using drugs his defense was to pin it on the cops. This was how the email-passing ended. It was also posted in an eGroup that the kid wasn’t really a chef but was training to be one and at the time he was arrested he was no longer with Mandarin.
The kid managed to file a case which included Mendoza on account of command responsibility, Mendoza being the Head of that motorcycle unit in MPD.
But despite the formal complaint, (this time, according to Mendoza) the kid never pursued it, failing to attend preliminary meetings and showed disinterest in following it up. According to Vice Mayor Moreno, the Police’s Internal Affairs and the prosecutor handling it recommended a dismissal of the case but what do you know, the Ombudsman pursued the administrative case and decided to dismiss all five cops from the service, without any of the earned benefits and disqualification from any future gov’t position.
Still according to Moreno, the Ombudsman accepted the Motion for Reconsideration even if the time for filing has lapsed.
It has taken a long time just to get a decision on the MR, Mendoza’s group’s hands were tied since they cannot elevate it to higher courts without any final decision from the Ombudsman. Without a job and income, Mendoza may have become desperate. His retirement is due in a few months, he continues to hope the Ombudsman will heed the Internal Affairs request, there being no complainant. But the Ombudsman’s inaction, like we always experienced, prolly took its toll on Mendoza’s mental state.
My opinion.
Assuming all inputs I got from the emails and webgroups were true, I am inclined to believe Mendoza was an innocent man. His father, brother/s, and son, were all cops just like him. We’ve seen corrupt cops and there are quite a few in my street. None of the indicators were there. Their house in Tanauan looks very old and extended families lived together there.
The police inspector just in the next block to our house lives with his “kabit” in that condominium – his third (or fourth?) wife. He drives a “modelo” Honda Civic.
His bosom buddy, the sacked chief, after he and his men bungled another hostage situation. Remember that one in Victory Liner where the hostage-taker was shot by a cop with M16 in auto mode after he started stabbing the child he was carrying? That was him. The child was also hit by his bullets. I also remember GMA7’s Jiggy Manicad got a lot of flak then for interfering in the negotiations when he was not trained to do so. Chief “Chualay” was immediately relieved and sent to Subic for training. That was the last time we saw him and his umpteenth “girlfriend” in that condo. He sports an SUV.
I could cite a few more but I’ve made my point. Corrupt cops have several chicks, lived in expensive houses and drove up-to-date cars.
In the case of Mendoza, he was willing to give up his life for what? Pension money that amounted to a mere P15K a month? Shows how economically unrewarding and thankless a good cop’s career could be.
He must’ve told some of the hostages about it that a Mrs. Leung, the HK woman hostage who lost her husband and 2 daughters while a son is still critical at the hospital was complaining to an HK TV reporter that RP gov’t let hell break loose just because of a few money. Apparently referring to Mendoza’s upcoming pension. She blamed our government for sacrificing many lives for a few pesos.
Wow, that’s how cheap we have become before the eyes of the whole world.
Pinoys will kill each other, foreign tourists included, for a few crumbs when our leaders steal the whole cookie jar.
balweg: …Pero ano ang nakita ng buong madla…ang KATOTOHAN sa likod ng kanilang kapalpakan, di pala sila handa sa ganitong scenario e bakit aakuin nila ang ganitong trabaho.
Ibig bang sabihin sila lang ang PNP personnel, sige tama sila na nasa jurisdiction nila ang hostage drama ang tanong e ganito, handa ba sila o may kakayanan na gampanan ang pagresobla ng crisis na ito?
Nadale mo, pader, batang-bata, este, tamang-tama. Bakit hindi tinawag ang SAF na handa at praktisado sa ganito? Di kaya e palpak rin mas kahiya-hiyang tawaging Special Action Force, tapos sablay rin pala. Kapag ganito na kalala ang sitwasyon at pinapanood ka na ng buong mundo, nantupa, isalang mo na yung alas mo, diba?
Kakainis, kaya pala hindi ma-teargas ng mas maaga, dahil walang gas mask sa MPD. HQ lang naman ng kapitolyo ng Pinas, pero walang gas mask!
Gusto ninyong makakita ng matuling reaksiyon? Panoorin ninyo ito: (sorry, sa Facebook lang ito)
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=477391566152&ref=mf
Hi Ellen, opinyon ko na wala namang magagawa sina Robredo kundi aminin ang “lapses” ng kapulisan. Kung baga ay wala silang lusot kundi magpahambol na pwedeng ma-disarm ng konti si Donald Tsang ang others.
Thanks for this Tongue, I tend to believe that he was not corrupt because the house simple. Nakita mo yung mga plaques? Doon nakakabit sa bubung.
I’m more concerned now about the brother, SPO2 Gregorio.
X-man, ayun ako sa iyo sa baligtad na katwiran ng Presidente pero wla akong personal na galit sa kanila, ang sa akin lang hindi ito panahon ng pagsisihan kundi ano ang dapat gawin para ma iwasan or mapigilan ang ganitong gawain, kung saan maraming inosente nadadamay. Di kaya ng gobyernong kumilos kundi kailangan ng tulong ng bawat isa.
Dapat mawala muna sa atin ang makasariling hangad (Selfish) karamihan sa atin magaling lang mag commento or puros salita wala namang naiitulong sa paglutas ng problema, katulad ng naponood ko sa scenario, maraming usisero/usisera na lalong walang magawa ang kapulisan, at sa mga pulis masyado silang focus sa mga taong walang armas na tulad ng mga kapatid ni Mendoza at iniwan sa ere ang taong may armas at mga taong nasa bus na nangangailangan ng tulong.
Kung hindi pa nagpapaputok di pa sila kikilos, kulang sa kaalaman ang ating kapulisan .Isa lang ng hostage taker di pa nila nasugpo at naligtas ang mga hostages , paano kung marami na sila lalo sguro di nila kayang sugpuin.
Isa lang ang ibig sabihin ng lahat ng ito.. ang ating gobyerno ay inutil sa lahat ng bagay na tulad nito, ang kapulisan ay san damamak ng mga tanga, ang mga taong uzi ay super bobo at kulang ng edukasyon, at media, naman ay over confident, but who’s to blame.. ultimately the government especially ang mga leaders natin na puro bobo at tanga….nakakahiya kayo…