NEWS: Tourist Bus held hostage at Luneta (Aug 23 2010)

[Monseratto]

On going event. An ex-policeman carrying an armalite rifle has taken hostage a tourist bus which include school children from Hong Kong parked at Quirino Grandstand. The ex policeman was the head of the Manila mobile group that made "hulidap" a La Sallite student/chef that was forced to swallow shabu and withdraw money from his ATM. He was dismissed from service last January. As usual, magulo na naman mga taga media. Hope it ends peacefully. Another blackeye to our tourist industry.

[niky]

It's on ANC right now.

Dayumn. Instant fame and the chance to get shot by a sniper?

[Monseratto]

Hehehe, nasa international news ang 'pinas ulit! For the wrong reason...

AP News Source

Ex-policeman in Philippines holds tourists hostage

MANILA, Philippines – A dismissed policeman armed with an automatic rifle seized a bus in the Philippine capital Monday with 25 passengers aboard, most of them Hong Kong tourists, in a bid to demand his reinstatement, police said.

Police sharpshooters took positions around the white-blue-red bus, which was parked near a downtown Manila park, and negotiations to free the hostages were under way, deputy director of Manila police Alex Gutierrez said.

Two of the Hong Kong tourists, both women, were released and were being debriefed by police, Manila police chief Rodolfo Magtibay said. Police had earlier reported that the tourists were from South Korea but later corrected themselves.

Others on the bus included three Filipinos — a driver, a guide and a photographer, Magtibay said.

The hostage-taker, identified as former Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, was armed with an M16 rifle. He demanded that he be given back his job on the police force a year after he was fired, Magtibay said.

Mendoza hitched a ride on the bus from the historic walled city of Intramuros and then "declared he is taking the passengers hostage" when the bus reached Jose Rizal Park alongside Manila Bay.

The area also includes the seaside U.S. Embassy and a number of hotels.

The curtains on the bus windows were drawn and live TV footage showed two police negotiators walking to and from the bus and communicating with Mendoza from the window near the driver's seat.

Magtibay said they were also using the driver's cell phone to talk to Mendoza.

"We should really resolve this quickly so that it will not have a wider effect," Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said.

[oliver1013]

Mr Sniper, you may squeeze the trigger if you have a clear shot!! Ya Really!

[donbuggy]

^ We can't have that. We must respect the human rights of the alleged hostage taker.

[chua_riwap]

It was learned that Mendoza is a former recipient of the 1986 Ten Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines (TOPP) of the Jaycees International.

Sayang........

[Monseratto]

Nasa headline ng mga major international new org...



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11055015

'Sacked policeman' seizes Manila bus in hostage drama

former policeman armed with a high-powered assault rifle has seized a bus in the Philippine capital, Manila, police say.

The gunman, reportedly sacked over robbery and drugs claims, is demanding his job back, local media says.

Children were reported to be among at least 20 passengers, mainly South Koreans, on the tourist bus.

Officials named the suspect as a senior inspector sacked amid allegations of robbery and extortion.

Negotiations with the gunman are reportedly taking place.

The bus is believed to be carrying up to 26 foreign tourists, including some children, and was stationary at Luneta Park when the gunman appeared.

"We are still trying to determine the circumstances of the hijacking and what happened," metropolitan Manila police commander, Director Leocadio Santiago said over DZBB radio in Manila.

"There are children and adults on the bus," he said.

Mr Santiago said the gunman has been identified as Rolando Mendoza, a former senior police inspector who was sacked in 2008 over allegations of robbery, extortion and drug-related crimes.

[vito corleone]

i'm sure there's a justifiable reason that forced this man to do this act, like "kailangan ko lang ng pera para mapakain ang pamilya ko kaya ko nagawa ito, matagal na kasi akong walang trabaho"




as if the bombings in the south are not enough to scare away potential tourists, enters this stupid guy

[Isuzoom]

PALPAK!!!! mga putong inamoy nyo!!!

[adapilado]

pinatay na yata lahat ng hostage taker ang lahat ng hostage..isa nanaman dagok sa pilipinas

hindi pa rin napapasuko ang hostage taker

[Mguy]

I know a lot of media backers will tell that suppressing the news is like during the dark days of martial law, but last night, it gave us more things to worry about. Consider this:

1. According to eyewitnesses and surviving hostages, the hostage taker was watching the news on the bus, got angry to see how police manhandled his relatives, which in turn made him angry and started to kill some passengers.

2. Media had full coverage, in all angles, on the assault of the bus last night. Having this info, he managed to keep them at bay for a moment.

3. The world laid witness to the incompetence and lack of planning of the police, which opens the generalization that all Filipinos are incompetent as well.

We all know that the police bungled in this operation but I would think media as well bungled in responsible reporting.

[Hanren]

All for the love of unbiased reporting? Cmon... pataasan na lang ng rating kaya di man lang kinonsider ang kapakanan ng mas nakakarami.

I also watched BBC last night and they had a 10 second delay in their "live" video feed because they considered the threat of the hostage taker to kill as too graphic for the audience to see live. They did that presumably to have a leeway just in case the scene is inappropriate for the general audience.

[jave]

Using press freedom and transparency as excuses is stupid.

They could've just allowed media to record, but not broadcast it live on air. Haven't they heard of delayed broadcasting?

That is the critical thing why the big media need to be kicked in their heads for their role in the entire incident.

All for the sake of ratings.

[leonleon]

They could've just allowed media to record, but not broadcast it live on air. Haven't they heard of delayed broadcasting?

That is the critical thing why the big media need to be kicked in their heads for their role in the entire incident.

All for the sake of ratings.

AMEN.

All the big networks, and all the AM radio stations were broadcasting LIVE. Mendoza could either watch it or listen to it.

[wowiesy]

AMEN.

All the big networks, and all the AM radio stations were broadcasting LIVE. Mendoza could either watch it or listen to it.

kaninang umaga. hirit nga ni Ted Failon.. wala naman daw pulis o government authority na nag lay down ng ground rules sa coverage so free for all na.. so yung sabi nilang responsibility nila to the Filipino people eh naging responsibility na lang to their bosses?

laki ng factor na nasa kanila si Maria Ressa... coming from CNN, she knows who to call and pano presyuhan...

[leonleon]

kaninang umaga. hirit nga ni Ted Failon.. wala naman daw pulis o government authority na nag lay down ng ground rules sa coverage so free for all na.. so yung sabi nilang responsibility nila to the Filipino people eh naging responsibility na lang to their bosses?

laki ng factor na nasa kanila si Maria Ressa... coming from CNN, she knows who to call and pano presyuhan...

'

I thought the Philippine media practiced self-regulation?

Ayaw nilang may external agency na magdidikta sa kanila kung ano ang tama o maling gawin -- kesyo denial of freedom of speech yun, ek, ek.

Kaya nga may KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas) na miyembro eh mga taga media din -- for self regulation, self censorship, self-restraint. They police their own ranks, wika nga.

Media talaga, magaling. Pag sila ang mambabatikos tama sila. Pero kung sila na ang babatikusin, tama pa rin sila.

[jimnyeatworld]

the question is bakit nagalit yun brother. siguro naman he was also informed beforehand na there is a letter from the Ombudsman na.

or he too is not agreeable with the letter, ang gusto automatic reinstatement katulad ng kanyang hostage-taker brother. this family really is short-fused or has limited patience

dito ba sa'tin may law ba na ganun or to be specific, a Presidential pardon that will give immunity from prosecution sa isang offender/asset if he promises to cooperate or something (just like in the 24 series)

[leonleon]

For those interested, I've found some links regarding the case filed by the chef (Kalaw) against this Mendoza policeman / hostage taker:

http://donavictorina.blogspot.com/20...ls-in-pnp.html

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx...bCategoryId=65

God save us from law enforcers like these who are nothing more than crooks in uniform. MPD policemen are really monsters. Ingats tayong lahat pag dumadaan ng Maynila.

[JPG111]

[fourtheboys96]

i am not a fan of the philippine press especially during the Manila Penn siege.

but in this case, and knowing how they operate, i don't blame them.

i put the blame on our police. the PNP could and should have controlled the crowd and media situation right from the start. basic things like cordoning off the area especially from the civilians (may uzisero na malapit, ano ba yan). they should have established an area where media can set up their station and no other area is allowed.

ilang beses na itong nangyari eh. bakit hindi natututo ang PNP.

yung strategy nila,ibang usapan pa yun.

hindi na presidente si GMA so si noynoy na cguro ang dapat sisihin.