MANILA, Philippines - Hours before President Benigno Simeon Aquino III was scheduled to face a panel of television news anchors over the August 23 hostage-taking tragedy, Bayan Patrollers posted their own questions on the Facebook page of ABS-CBN’s citizen journalism arm.

President Aquino will face anchors from ABS-CBN, GMA-7, and TV5 for an interview in Malacañang on Thursday. ABS-CBN News Channel's (ANC) special live coverage entitled "Harapan with President Aquino" has been scheduled at 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

ABS-CBN's news website, abs-cbnNEWS.com, will live stream the interview and will also host a chat session.

The live stream can be accessed at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/ancliveevents once the coverage starts.

The chat session, however, will start earlier at noon.

This early, questions for the President have been streaming in on the Bayan Mo iPatrol Mo Facebook page.

The questions, mostly framed in Filipino, ranged from the mundane – What did the President and Mayor Lim eat at the Emerald Restaurant – the earnest and hopeful to the downright mocking and sarcastic.
 
Someone taking on the name of slain hostage taker Rolando Mendoza asked what officials are in “the critical hours” after (Manila Mayor Alfredo) Lim ruffled negotiation efforts by ordering the arrest of Mendoza’s younger brother.
 
A Patroller going by the moniker Ketsup asked what Mr. Aquino learned from the crisis and how he plans to translate these into actual reforms. That question was echoed by Dievee Borja Pagdato, who also lamented the bloody end to the crisis. The 12-hour standoff between dismissed cop Rolando Mendoza and police officials led to the deaths of 9 people, eight of them Hong Kong Chinese tourists.
 
Andy Batangantang asked why the President assumed full responsibility for the incident. Myrin Bigonia Olipani wondered if Mr. Aquino feels regret for not being visible during the hours of crisis, adding that she believes the President could have made a difference.
 
Alex Montemayor echoed Olipani’s frustration. “Being the commander in chief of this nation, did he command? He said he monitored the hostage drama; for how many hours? Knowing the situation, why was the President nowhere to be found?”
 
Vectorizta Reyes let loose an angry: “Ikaw ba talaga ang Presidente namin o isa kang malaking joke?” (Are you really our President or is this a joke on us?)

And Glenn Galiza asked: “Did you ever think of retirement after the hostage drama?”
 
Jimmy Lam focused on the lack of unity among the President’s top aides. “Can he control the people behind him, like those people from, Balay and Samar who display a crab mentality?”

Valentino Vintagemaravich Teodoro asked: “Arent you going to resolve the alleged faction (sic) among your Cabinet members?"
 
January Fresco-Mamauag also wondered about how Vice-President Jejomar Binay would have handled the hostage crisis.

"Mr. President, could VP Binay, who said before that among the departments, he is more experienced to handle the DILG position, possibly have done a better job handling the hostage crisis?
 
Loida Obaña was forward-thinking. She wants to know if Mr. Aquino will earmark funds for the conduct of seminars and trainings on handling hostage crises to prevent future tragedies.
 
Asenso Pilipinas urged Mr. Aquino to set up a local version of the US-based 911 emergency services, saying the current 117 system does not work.

Aiken Flores focused on what reforms are being done to improve the skills of policemen. He also wants the President to do something about Cabinet officials who did not perform well during the crisis, but did not single out any aide. Anne Manalo raised the same point but ended with a plaintive “Kaya ba talaga? (Can we even expect change?)"
 
Wendell Ryan Yetyet mentioned the communications fumbles of Mr. Aquino’s Cabinet and said he did not see clear policies on the handling of media during a hostage crisis. “How exactly do you see media’s role in your governance?” he asked.
 
Marlon Robrigado wondered how the President now feels about being pictured as a weak and ineffectual leader.