ABS-CBN statement on Aug. 23 hostage tragedy
Media's job is to tell the story, but no story is worth even one life.
We will always cooperate with authorities in trying to resolve complex situations like the Aug 23 hostage crisis.
If the government had called for a news blackout that day, ABS-CBN would have supported it.
We are done with an initial assessment of our coverage and continue to review our policies.
We exercised self-restraint on Monday:
1. We refused to air the hostage taker's threats live about a 3 pm deadline to avoid fuelling public fear.
2. We refused to air the hostage taker's interview until after negotiations were finished.
3. We refused to be part of hostage negotiations.
4. All throughout the day and until the first shots were aired, we kept our cameras 400 meters away from the bus, giving us shaky video that viewers complained about. Our teams never crossed the police line.
5. Although we had access to members of the police reaction team, we held back interviews which could compromise their plans and/or location.
6. After the police tried to arrest the hostage taker's brother, our team physically stepped back to comply with police request.
7. After the assault began, we tried to limit our shots to avoid showing police movements. We stayed with extreme close-ups or wide shots.
8. We immediately complied when police asked us to turn off our lights explaining the grainy shots viewers complained about.
9. We avoided tampering with evidence at crime scene. Instead, we asked Soco to shoot the video instead of entering the bus ourselves.
This wasn't enough.
We acknowledge airing a report that detailed the position of the police during the assault.
During the arrest of Gregorio Mendoza, we considered pulling away from the coverage but a man was crying for help.
In other countries around the world, governments set the ground rules for situations like this. One network cannot unilaterally declare a news blackout. Press freedom issues take a back seat during situations like this - where the government already has the power to define the terms to media.
We are taking the public's views to heart. Monday's tragic events triggered intense soul-searching for us. Such is the irony of a profession that wields so much power but relies entirely on self-doubt to gain --- and keep --- its credibility.
We ask our broadcast colleagues to join us in an industry review. Let us unite and work together to put in place measures to collectively decide when we stop live coverage in the absence of government presence of mind.
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Accountability of your newscasters
Ted Failon was relentless in asking G. Mendoza (the brother) to "go with the cops" as "media can accompany him". Failon has not been trained on hostage negotations. He SHOULD HAVE AT THE VERY LEAST KNOWN that R. Mendoza wanted none of his family members to be taken into police custody. We all know what happened right after G. Mendoza was taken into police custody.
What will ABS-CBN do about this?
the right direction
the fact that broadcast media outlets, ABS-CBN included, have asked for an 'industry review' is admission in itself that there were mistakes made on their part. were there lapses? yes there were. is it fair to say it was ABS' fault? no, i do not agree to that statement and that 'somehow yes' should be substantiated.
there is an attempt to explain here why the network did what it did. yes we may not agree to everything in the letter but at least they're honest enough to admit that some things need to be looked at very closely and fixed properly so as not to repeat last monday's horrible tragedy.
yes we can demand for people's heads. we can point accusing fingers at each other. we can be angry. but we can also learn from this.
was it ABS-CBN's
was it ABS-CBN's fault??
somehow, YES.... but it's not abs-cbn alone...there were other news teams such as radio reporters, journalists and other tv networks.
But the bottomline of the whole incident was of GOVERNMENT NEGLIGENCE and UNPREPAREDNESS...and the most brutal fact, GOVERNMENT's LACK OF COMMON SENSE.
ABS-CBN had their common sense during the LIVE incident and took precautionary measures whether to air such scenes or not. If you were in the actual scene people, would you have predicted such incident that the police will insist their power??? ABS was right to say that they stayed because a man was asking for help.... if you were there, kahit kriminal ang tao, would you have chosen to let the man be abused without exercising his right to refuse??
and one thing more about the Philippine Police!! You guys were supposed to be peace keepers, not trouble makers...... It's also one brutal fact that NO ONE IS SAFE ANYMORE...NOT EVEN FROM THE POLICE.... in times like these, you should have first acted WITH COMMON SENSE.... what you have shown was POLICE BRUTALITY. You could have told the media to back out before arresting such man. The Philippine Police is now HEAVILY STAINED!!
As to President Aquino, you watched the news the whole time and you said you delegated works etc2x to men working under you...... don't you have advisers who think? It's you who could have stopped it all... ABS was right in their article statment that THE GOV'T COULD HAVE ISSUED A MEDIA BLACK-OUT...but you, as the president, didn't!!!
ABS was right and just to say in:
"Let us unite and work together to put in place measures to collectively decide when we stop live coverage in the absence of government presence of mind."
LAW MAKERS OF THE PHILIPPINES....ACT NOW.
PEOPLE!!! had it not been for ABS CBN, this country could have lived with all it's "PALPAK NA PAMAMALAKAD NG GOBYERNO." ....it's time to learn, people!
Media is a source of
Media is a source of information. Media is the least among the factors that led to the tragic death of the hostages. In fact, media provided us a clear picture how inefficient our police forces. It showed us how unprepared we are in a situation like this.
One thing we all should know, you never give in to the demands of the criminal(s). Once the authorities give in to the demand of the hostage taker, it will create a vacuum of similar incident. Our police forces failed to neutralize the hostage taker when they have the chance.
Negotiations are only meant to buy time and open a window of opportunity to take out the hostage taker. Negotiation is not in anyway to meet the demands of the hostage taker. You do not wait for the hostage taker to start hurting the hostages or become hostile. You wait for the opportunity to take him out. And if there are any lives lost, it will only be his and not the hostages.
Thus, what happened last Monday night is solely rest on the police commander assigned to resolve the hostage crisis.
Media and the ABS-CBN did an outstanding job in covering the incident. Now the world knows how stupid our police forces can be.
Media should not stop with just that. The world should also know that many in our police forces are kidnappers, drug dealers, arms dealer, human rights violator, rapist etc. Those who are friends with high ranking officers and/or with influential politicians are able to move around within PNP despite their crime. Those who are not, like Mendoza, are relieved of duty and at times become the fall guy.
It is bad that this thing happened to our country. And the only thing we can do is to pray for the best.
To the victims, may they rest in peace. To Mendoza, may he found peace and comfort in heaven.
Ako ang Dios
Obviously naman pagkkamali ng abs at gma dito..akala nyo ba walang commonsense mga Filipino? Admit or not labag na labag nyo yung proper journalism...ok nsa malyo kamo kau hbang umaatke pulis o sa hostage drama. eh para nu naman kme tanga nyan kya nga may zoom camera nyo..or would you like isend ko sainyo video coverage nu kung pnu nu brodcast ng live yung eksenang taktika ng ggawin sanang rescue ng pnp/swat eh alm nyo namn my tv sa bus my radio pa ata. at i still remember yung pagsesentionalized nyo sa pgdakip sa kaptid ni rolando mendoza. bad karma yan abs ksi yung minanok nyong presidente ngyon nsa burning seat. Presidente na ngsbe na medyo sablay ata kayo sa over brodcast nyo khit alm nyong life and death ang nkataya. be sensitive naman media people. sigaw kau ng sigaw ng right to information at freedom of the press wala naman pala kayo pkealam sa buhay ng tao pulis man o civilan..serbisyo publiko ba yan o ratings lang. obviously di public service
9 donts
I would say that the media people here in the philippines are the most biased and coward people here on earth. you are greedy of news and coverage and yet no concern of those people who are in jeopardy...you know already that showing how the policeman handled the brother of mendoza would only irate the hostage taker. And the brother also acted overly even tho he was not being hurt he tried to show that he was....
NO MORE SELF-REGULATION!
As what we've seen in Manila Peninsula seige and now this Bus tragedy recently, the media is becoming very powerful institution! More powerful than any branch of the goverment.
There agenda most of time go beyond the their oath of reporting news and events to the people, they act like everyone fear them and therefore they become UNTOUCHABLES! like gods! ITS ALL ABOUT TV RATINGS!!!
I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
BUT STOP THE PHILIPPINES MEDIA FROM BECOMING VERY POWERFUL!
NO MORE 100% SELF-REGULATION!
Ow! Come On!
You think your readers are a bunch of idiots? Instead of saying something that is different from what you really did at the hostage fiasco...better say sorry and admit your mistakes. You did a lousy job out there with the other media networks and you had to admit it. Even a child can understand that you showed a blow-by-blow account of the crisis and even took videos of the hostage taker brother's arrest with Ted Failon on the other end asking too many questions even when the police are shooing your cameraman away! It's too late for this. Grow Up people! You are not helping our country!
NAGHUGAS KAMAY ANG ABS-CBN.
NAGHUGAS KAMAY ANG ABS-CBN. YOU HAVE BLOOD IN YOUR HANDS. PRAY AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS
1. – ?! Liar you even ask your ground reporters if they can get a clear shot on the demand lists of the hostage taker
2. – What?! Your reporters are the one who run first to ask questions from the bus driver who escape! WHAT HAPPEN? WHAT HAPPEN?
3. . – hahahaha Why they ask your network to be part of it? what can you offer in the negotiation? –live interview I think. smile the world see you LIVE!!
4. – what the heck the bus was surrounded with ABS-CBN reporters! seems like they can do anything good.
5. –held back?!! What a funny word coming from a network without a no policy on how to engage in a FIRST SCOOP/ GOOD SCOOP/ BEST RATING hahahaha
6. – yah of course they ask your reporters to stepped back because you want to get an interview!
7. – you are on live the whole day. you even ask the reporters to try to focus and get a shot inside the bus.
8. – You did not comply because you think that it will lessen your viewers/listeners.
9. . – What again?! you even asked the SOCO to do it for you?! ABS-CBN you are not an investigator you don’t have any business roaming around in the crime seen! how stupid.
This wasn't enough. – yes its not enough really how stupid you are
You say crying for help?!?! – WHAT HELP CAN YOU OFFER THEN?! ask the police to give his gun back?!?! STUPID!
ABS-CBN – naghuhugas kamay sabihin nyo ISA kayo sa MAIN reason bakit namaril ung hostage taker. and aim nyo lang na is maging number one sa ratings kaya lahat nga paraan gagawin ninyo maka kuha lang ng exclusive shots/interview without thinking na nakakasama ang ginagawa ninyo. puro kayo PRESS FREEDOM!! PWWWEEE!!! you don’t even know what is that mean! you see? you have all the freedom to shot/interview and what happen?!?!
Nice one!
Humility will always be an outstanding virtue. Honestly, I wasn't expecting this kind of admission or humility to come from ABS-CBN. Nice one ABS-CBN!!!!!