MANILA, Philippines - Police Chief Inspector Romeo Salvador believes the hostage crisis last August 23 had high chances of a peaceful ending if not for an "interference."

Appearing before the Incident Investigation and Review Committee on Saturday,  Salvador, 1 of the negotiators in the bus siege, said “may nakialam po kasi e…kung yung cellphone ay continuous naming nagagamit, tuloy-tuloy sana negotiations.”

Salvador was then assistant to Superintendent Orlando Yebra in negotiating for the release of several Hong Kong tourists held hostage by a discharged police officer, Rolando Mendoza.

The almost 12-hour siege ended in a bloodbath, with a total of 9 dead, including the gunman.

He explained Mendoza had 2 cell phone lines that were being contacted by negotiators now and again in order to put through another option meant to pacify him—his temporary reinstatement to the service.

Salvador remembered Mendoza told him earlier in the day that “ibalik niyo ako sa serbisyo, bababa na ako dito [bus], alam kong may kaso na ako sa ginagawa kong ito.”

Salvador said he specifically mentioned this 1 demand to Yebra.

During the critical minutes of the possible delivery of that option, however, police could no longer get through, he said.

Newspaper accounts about the hostage crisis have disclosed that Mendoza was busy talking to Radio Mindanao Network (RMN)-DZXL during the critical moment in the negotiations. (Click here for related article).
 

‘Talking buddies’

Salvador, who appeared before the review committee on Saturday afternoon, cited all he knew of what transpired during that day.

He said he went to the hostage site upon learning of the incident at around 10:00 a.m. on August 23. Yebra called and directed him to already take the initial contact and “to profile” Mendoza.

It was also then that he learned that he actually knew Mendoza. “We were talking buddies when we were at the [National Capital Region Police Office].”

Salvador explained it was this “rapport” that he used to his advantage, sometimes getting a chuckle or 2 from Mendoza. In fact, the latter initially only wanted to talk to Salvador.

All throughout the day, Salvador said he was there listening to Mendoza’s demands—food and water for the hostages, diesel for the bus, spare batteries for the bus driver’s cellphone, among others.

Mendoza subsequently gave negotiators some “goodwill”—releasing 7 hostages throughout the day. Two had already been released before Salvador entered the picture.

‘Bring case to de Lima’

Earlier in the day, Mendoza told him to bring his case to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. The case refers to his dismissal from the service, stemming from an extortion case, already pending for review before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Salvador ordered another police to bring a copy of the case to the Department of Justice.

The copy never reached de Lima. It was established that the police ordered to deliver the copy was asked to return to the command post.

De Lima also put on record she never got the case file.

Salvador said he did not hear a request that the case also be brought to the Ombudsman, as what had actually transpired. Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno personally went to Quezon City to transmit the message. (Click here for related article.)

Mendoza’s adviser

At around noon, Salvador remembered a certain “Roberto Agojo” who approached him inside the cordoned area.

Claiming to be Mendoza’s “compadre and adviser,” Agojo supposedly asked that he be brought to Mendoza.

Salvador said he did not allow this, noting hostage negotiation rules do not allow civilians and outsiders to intervene.

It was not known who Agojo was. A member of the committee, however, pointed out that he could have been of help had his identity been known.

Salvador said he nevertheless mentioned Agojo’s appearance to his superiors.

Investigators who were also present testified before the committee that they have already tracked down Agojo. To date, the latter has not shed light of his role in the matter.

Request for lady reporter

Salvador also said Mendoza had requested for a reporter and a camera man. He said this was actually the subject of the “3:00 pm. deadlock” that was posted on the window of the bus.

Upon learning of this information, Channel 5 reporter Erwin Tulfo and his camera man entered the cordoned area and informed Salvador he was willing to do the interview.

The negotiator halted Tulfo, however, and told him to inform the command post of this voluntary action. He said he did not know how Tulfo learned of Mendoza’s request.

He also told Tulfo that Mendoza actually asked for a lady reporter, specifically, broadcast journalist Susan Enriquez of GMA7

Tulfo supposedly shrugged him off.

The reporter, including radio announcer Michael Rogas of RMN, earlier admitted talking to Mendoza on the phone a few minutes before he opened fire.

Brother enters picture

Salvador said he rested for a while after feeling nauseous.

A police officer, however, informed him that a “fat and balding man clad in pants and white shirt” was approaching the area. It turned out that the man was Mendoza’s brother, Gregorio.

“I turned his back to the bus…I told him ‘Sandali, parang may baril kayo.' I took it and asked him who authorized him to approach the area,” Salvador said.

Instead, Gregorio was escorted to the command post where he got in touch with higher officials. The younger Mendoza supposedly asked that he be included in the negotiations.

Invectives hurled

Around that time, the vice mayor had already informed the negotiating team that he was in touch with officials of the Office of the Ombudsman.

Mendoza took several calls. One of which was from Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III, supposedly the official handling Mendoza's extortion case.

Salvador heard Mendoza tell the other person on the line, supposedly Gonzalez, “Humihingi ka pa P150,000…Kung may mamamatay, kasalanan mo ito.” Mendoza also hurled several invectives.

Salvador noticed Mendoza’s voice change when the line was passed to a “ma’am.” He assumed it was Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, as per the account of Moreno.

Agitation starts

Yebra, with Gregorio tagging along, later delivered Gutierrez’s commitment letter to Mendoza.

It was then that Mendoza started talking to RMN's Rogas, informing him that the letter was mere garbage.

“Pagtalikod namin, nakialam na si Gregorio. He said ‘tol, yung baril ko hindi pa binabalik nito,” Salvador said.

He also specifically remembered Gregorio shouting: “Kapag hindi ibinalik and baril ko, huwag ka nang pumayag sa usapan.”

Yebra pulled Gregorio away. It was then that Salvador noticed that Mendoza fired against them.

‘I could have tackled him’

Salvador also remembers that he wanted to take an opportunity to throw down Mendoza, but was stopped by Yebra.

Despite several hitches earlier in the day, Salvador believes the negotiators still had the upper hand.

He could only surmise what was going through Mendoza’s mind leading to the rampage.

He said he followed negotiation rules by the book, based on earlier trainings given by the police force.