IIRC wants SWAT logbook on hostage timeline
MANILA, Philippines - The official panel investigating the August 23 hostage tragedy has asked the Manila Police District Special Weapons and Tactics Division (MPD-SWAT) to submit its logbook to check what time it received the tip on the hostage incident in Rizal Park.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the SWAT logbook will serve as part of the partner records on the hostage drama after receiving conflicting accounts of the incident timeline.
Members of the 5-man Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) earlier noted a discrepancy between the time that police SWAT were tipped off about the hostage-taking incident and the time that the hostage-taker actually announced the hijacking of the bus.
De Lima said SWAT members testified in a closed-door hearing that they received a call in their headquarters at 9:07 a.m., informing them that a hostage incident was taking place in Rizal Park. The SWAT team was then deployed at 9:15 a.m.
Bus driver Alberto Lubang, however, said hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza only boarded the bus with 25 people onboard at 9:45 a.m. He said Mendoza announced the hostage-taking about 2 minutes after boarding the bus in Intramuros.
De Lima said the time discrepancy is serious since it would show that the SWAT was already deployed in Rizal Park even before the hostage-taker arrived there with the hostages.
“How can there be a hostage-taking report at 9:07 a.m. if Mendoza only arrived at Fort Santiago at 9:30 a.m.?" she asked during Tuesday's hearing.
The IIRC also asked the MPD Tactical Operations Center to explain why a police officer who was ordered to photocopy the documents of hostage-taker Mendoza was unable to deliver the documents to the Department of Justice.
The IIRC is investigating the hostage-taking incident that claimed the lives of 8 Hong Kong tourists in Rizal Park last August 23.
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THis is what Ive been harping
THis is what Ive been harping about when I said media crossed the line and interfered during the hostage Incident. At the time when Mendoza opened fire on the hostages he was talking to the RMN radio announcer instead of the assigned police negotiator. I also read from other accounts that during that most critical time the police was unable to contact the hostage taker becauseh his phone was busy, obviously the RMN radio announcer was monopolizing the hostage taker's attention. He had no business interfering because he does not have the psychology skills or training to know whato to do to pacify the hostage taker and to make matters worse he was there to ask the hostage taker how he felt at the time and what did he feel like doing at that time instead of taking his mind off the idea to harm the hostages. If LIM was at fault for deciding to remobve Mendoza then the media was just as liable for coverin the event that caused the hostage to see what happenend. Even worse, the RMN radio announcer should be more liable even for interfering and for getting in the way of the police negotiator
Katangahan ng pinoy talaga.
Katangahan #1: stupid filipino negotiator
The filipino negotiator only talked for about 30 minutes then gave up. That is not how you do or practice negotiation skills in hostage situations. In other parts of the world, most negotiators do it for 48 hours. They give the hostagetaker lots of food and water to drink and talk to him all the time. The logic behind this is after 12 hours (of eating and drinking), they need to pee or poo (kailangan wee-wee at tae), so he have to get out of the bus, that’s when you need to attack him. Have you tried to talk on the phone when ebs is starting to come out? Its very hard. This is a technique filipino negotiators need to learn. Yes, the hostagetaker was given food…but it should have been more over a 48 hour period. After 48 hours, susuko din ito.
Katangahan #2: stupid swat team with a hammer
There was a stupid swat team who was hammering the window with a long and heavy piledriver hammer. After 3 attempts he got tired, he needed to let go of the hammer and give his gun to his partner so he can rest. Well, next time try to work out in the gym, do some weights and jog to get fit. Sobra taba pagod agad.
Katangahan #3: emergency lock out on hydraulic doors
All tour buses have an emergency lock out for the hydraulic doors. It’s located under the bus near the underside of the door. I saw on TV that they were trying to find out where the lock out is…instead the tababoy swat hammered the door, what did it do…nothing, it’s still remained close and he got tired somemore. In other parts of the world, the tactical response group practice everyday on how to attack or seige a hostage situation, they study all type of vehicles (airplanes, buses, trains, boats etc) and practice how to attack these positions. They study were the entry and exit are, where emergency doors are and how to stop these vehicles (just ask the Israel Tactical response group, they do this every day).
Next time, study the layout of the bus first. Filipinos tend not to worry about what may happen, they only act when it is happening.
Katangahan #4: Roping the door
Another swat team (the tababoy swat team have to be substituted he got tired) tried to rope the door and pull it using the Isuzu police truck…what happened? The rope broke….hellllloooo…..hydraulic doors are designed to stand against a lot of force and pressure. A rope made of abaca won’t open it.
Katangahan #5: The bystander boy who got shot in the leg
A bystander got shot in the leg. Well, what do you expect? The swat team should have quarantined and sanctioned the area. Example: put a ribbon or barracade saying “Crime Scene” just like you see in the movies….or is the PNP to poor to buy one of those. All bystanders should realise that they are not part of the event and if something happens to them it is their own fault. Buti nga sayo, buhay ka pa !!
Katangahan #6: Throwing tear gas into the bus
It is idiotic to throw tear gas into a bus when nobody knew how many people were still alive. Of those dead people, I wonder how many died of tear gas suffocation. Of course, PNP will not admit it, they will say that the hostagetaker killed them. I do not trust filipino autospy. Filipinos tend to fake documents or stories to make them look good (it’s called ‘saving face’). As far as the PNP is concerned, the hostagetaker killed them and no other investigation is required.
Katangahan #7:Firing into the bus
This is one of the most serious idiotic actions they did. Firing into the bus also creates ricochet (banda-banda). I wonder how many got killed because of this? Like number 6, PNP will not admit it.
Katangahan #8: Swat team entering after the tear gas
This idiotic act is the one that made me laugh (and I am sure all tactical response group in the world will be using this as a “don’t do” training video because of its ‘kenkoy’ effect). Two swat teams enter the bus after they put the tear gas…what happened…they have to asked for help from the people outide to get them out because they cant breath…why…because they forgot the gas mask. Next time do an inventory of equipment you need in case of emergency
Katangahan #9: The treatment of the brother and family of the hostagetaker
It was seen on TV that the wife, daughter and brother of the hostagetaker were treated poorly. Nobody helped them, not even the media. No person tried to help the family. In most society, a group of people will form a circle around the family to help them…nobody did that for them. Where is the people power…Philippines have done it before, why didn’t they do it then? No one offered help to the wife and the pregnant daughter, they saw their father killed in front of them. That is no way to treat people….for a country who claims to be ‘mapagmahal’, catholic and christian that was an utter embarrassment.
Katangahan #10: Corrupt police
The hostagetaker wanted to clear his name because he was charged with corruption.
Corruption…in the Phillippines….that’s news to me (sarcastic)!!! One policeman charged with corruption is not going to make a difference. Catching small corruption is not going to make a difference….the real corruption happens at the top of filipino government (ie Marcos, Erap, Arroyo).Us foreigners laugh at filipino stupidity because you do not learn, you get rid of Marcos because he was bad and corrupt, but still vote for Imelda and her children to become congressman and governor, give them a second chance to be corrupt again……so, nothing changed. That’s Corruption….and ‘katangahan ng pilipino’. In other countries, police treat one another like brothers and help them when they need it. It did not happen here.
Katangahan #11: Media and dead people
This is the most idiotic and unacceptable behaviour that was displayed to the world.
Filipino media is to be blamed for this. Respect and sensitivity should have been excersised by the media. They showed (in close up), the dead body of the hostagetaker hanging from the door with blood and brains dripping from the head, the dead body of a child and other dead bodies with blood being taken out of the bus. This should not have been televised. The relatives of the dead will not want it televised but the filipino media did. This is not good. Respect for the dead should have been observed.
Katangahan #12: Laughing sniper
The sniper was interviewed by the media and he seemed to be happy and laughing when he told the reporter how he shot the hostagetaker in the head and that he was proud he killed him. The wife, daughter and father of the hostagetaker (watching from their province) will obviously will not want another person to hear how proud they were when he shot their husband / father. I hope that the sniper have a son, father, brother and I hope one day someone will shoot them infront of him and I want to know how he feels then.