Scotland Yard expert notes what could have been done in hostage crisis
By ERICKSON BECO
August 26, 2010, 11:37am

Days after the conclusion of the hostage drama at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, Manila, the Philippines has yet to appease the international community from its failure to contain the crisis.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), acknowledged as the country’s premier line of civilian defense and security, has been on the bitter end of this issue — absorbing all the criticisms and bad-mouthing that the world can throw towards them. Everybody’s eyes were glued to their television sets and computers during the 12-hour hostage crisis only to be disappointed by the bloody outcome.

On Tuesday, the BBC News website posted an article enumerating the numerous flaws that the PNP has committed with regard to the handling of the hostage incident. The article was based primarily on the observations of a renowned security analyst in the person of Charles Shoebridge, who has worked for counter-terrorism operations of the British Army and the Scotland Yard.

Here are Shoebridge’s primary talking points on the said story:

1. Determination — “They (police officers) showed great courage to go on board. It's very crowded, just one aisle down the middle of the bus. But once you get on board, it's not unexpected you are going to be fired at. Squads like this have to be made up of very special people, specially trained and selected for their characteristics of courage, determination and aggression. In this case they acted as 99% of the population would have, which was to turn round and get out. They didn't seem to have the necessary determination and aggression to follow the attack through.”
2. Lack of equipment — “They had no ladders to get through the windows. They smashed the windows but didn't know what to do next... They almost looked like a group of vandals. Their firearms were also inappropriate — some had pistols, some had assault rifles. Ideally they would have carried a short submachine gun, suitable for use in confined spaces.”
3. Lost opportunity to disarm the gunman — "The negotiators were so close to him (hostage-taker Sr. Insp. Rolando Mendoza), and he had his weapon hanging down by his side. He could have been disabled without having to kill him."
4. Lost opportunity to shoot the gunman —"You are dealing with an unpredictable and irrational individual. The rule should be that if in the course of negotiations an opportunity arises to end the situation decisively, it should be taken.”
5. Satisfying the gunman’s demands — "A promise extracted under force is not a promise that you are required to honor. Nobody wants to give in to the demands of terrorists, but in a situation like this, which did not involve a terrorist group, or release of prisoners, they could have just accepted his demands. He could be reinstated in the police - and then be immediately put in prison for life for hostage taking."
6. Televised proceedings — “The gunman was able to follow events on television, revealing to him everything that was going on around him. This was a ‘crucial defect in the police handling’ …the police should always consider putting a barrier or screen around the area, to shield the scene from the cameras and keep the hostage taker in the dark.”
7. No element of surprise — “It was clear to the gunman what the police were doing at all times, not only because the whole incident was televised, but also because they moved ‘laboriously slow’ …the police did not distract him”
8. Safeguarding the public — "When you saw the camera view from above, it was clear there was little command and control of the public on the ground."
9. Using the gunman’s brother to negotiate — “Relatives and close friends can be a double-edged sword (in a hostage-taking incident)… While they may have leverage over the hostage taker, what they are saying cannot be easily controlled.”
10. Insufficient training — “In some parts of the Philippines, such as Mindanao, hostage taking is not an uncommon occurrence, so the country has some forces that are well trained in the necessary tactics. The detachment involved in Monday's incident clearly was not.”

The result of the Quirino Grandstand hostage siege could have gone the other way, where a peaceful result could have been accomplished, thus saving the country’s face and, more importantly, the lives of the tourists who were taken as hostages.

Either way, what was really evident in Shoebridge's analysis was the lack of coordination and proper decision-making that the authorities could have shown in this high-pressure situation.

ha ha ha ... sayang lang sweldo natin sa mga kumag na kabinete ni panotNOY at SA kanya at sa mga bulok na pulis officers. MR. KALBONG PRESIDENT NA WALANG UTAK, GISING!!!!
At taga ABS-CBN, GMA at TV 5, NAKUKUNSENSYA NA BA KAYO O ALA KAYONG MGA KALULUWA.

I am appalled at the complete non-existent governance the Philippines have. People say we shouldn’t blame the President. He is after all only there for two months. Wake up the f up then. If he was there for only two months, don’t you think about what will the next 5 years and 10 months of incompetence be? How about someone take responsibility? Mr. President? It is after all your leadership at stake. Why not take responsibility?

I don’t understand why during those 12 hours. Mr. President, not one of your cabinet members, advisers, and or your three-man communication team, said something about what was happening. I mean not once you called for a press conference during the hostage crisis. I guess this proves three heads are not always better than one, but three pockets get greater money than one. I don’t get how no one had a common sense of thinking this would become an international incident and shame. I mean common sense tells you that when international foreigners are involved, doesn’t it become an international affair. How shameful? Now, you are having your sister handle the damage control. Where was the control earlier? A leader takes responsibility of his actions and the people under him or her. You should be ashamed Mr. President because I am.

Let the experts handle it, yung sa position ng president ba pwede expert na lang din mag-handle tulad ni gordon?

"Experts"???? What experts? Who were these "experts" and what have they led us to?