MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE 1) -- Former police officer Rolando Mendoza, who held hostage 25 people aboard a tourist bus in Rizal Park on Monday, was dismissed last year over allegations of extortion and forcing a chef to swallow shabu.
 
Mendoza, 55, was an awarded policeman who rose through the ranks, and is scheduled for compulsory retirement next year.

Because he was dismissed in February 2009, he faces forfeiture of his retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification from government service. He demands reinstatement to the force.
 
His brother, Senior Police Officer 2 Gregorio Mendoza, said Rolando has been hurting from the dismissal. The younger Mendoza said he and their family never thought Rolando would be capable of doing the hostage-taking.
 
Rolando Mendoza is married with three grown children, one of whom is a police captain.
Holding the rank of senior inspector, Mendoza was cited in 1986 as one of the Ten Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines by the Jaycees International.

Retired Inspector Edgar Amurao, Mendoza's batchmate at the Manila Police District, said he knew Mendoza to be a kind man, and that this just happened to be disgruntled over the handling of his case.

But Philippine National Police spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr said Mendoza just got himself in deeper trouble: "Ang masasabi natin sa kanya: meron namang paraan para ma-clear 'yung pangalan niya bilang pulis. Hindi 'yung ganitong paraan na iho-hostage niya yung mga turista, 'yung mga bisita pa ng ating bansa."

Mendoza was one of five Manila police officers ordered dismissed by the Ombudsman for alleged extortion and for forcing a suspect to swallow metamphetaine hydrochloride (shabu), based on the accusation of chef Christian Kalaw, who was arrested and was allegedly mulcted with P23,000.
 
Kalaw was apprehended for alleged illegal parking and driving without license on April 9, 2006 at 10:30 p.m. while Kalaw was sitting inside his car parked at the corner of Vito Cruz and Taft Avenue in Manila.
Kalaw filed charges of robbery, robbery-extortion, grave threats and physical injuries against Mendoza and his police officers.
 
Mendoza had appealed the finding by the deputy Ombudsman that substantial evidence of grave misconduct existed to warrant his dismissal, along with the dismissal of Inspector Nelson Lagasca, SPO1 Nestor David, PO3 Wilson Gavino and PO2 Roderick Lopena.
 
In 2006, Gavino and Lopena allegedly asked for Kalaw’s license and accused him of illegal use of drugs. The two then allegedly took his ATM card but weren’t able to get any money. Kalaw was arrested, and David and Lopena allegedly grabbed his neck and ordered him to swallow the shabu.
 
Kalaw was then brought to the Manila police headquarters where Mendoza, Lagasca and Gavino allegedly demanded P200,000 in exchange for his release.
 
In 2008, the Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service and the Manila Prosecutors’ Office Eighth Division had separately dismissed the cases against the policemen over the complainants’ absence during the hearings, citing his disinterest over the case. -- With report from Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News