MANILA, Philippines - Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim on Monday said he did not give out specific commands to police despite being chairman of the crisis committee handling the August 23 hostage-taking incident in Rizal Park.

Lim said he did not give out orders but deferred to the vice-chairman of the crisis panel namely Manila Police District head Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay.

"Yung sinasabi mong na-confuse sila sa order ko? E ni hindi ako nakikipag-usap sa kanila. Ang kausap ko lang si General Magtibay (You are saying that they were confused by my orders? I wasn't even talking to them. I was only talking to General Magtibay)," Lim said in an interview with radio dzMM anchor Ted Failon.

In the interview, Lim branded as "lies" reports that he wanted police to end the hostage crisis immediately without considering its possible consequences. He said he wanted Magtibay to prolong the negotiations in the hopes that the hostage situation would be resolved peacefully.

"Ang kabilin-bilinan ko kay General Magtibay: aabutin kayo ng madaling araw dito. Pagtyagaan na lang ninyo. Hintayin ninyong mapagod at mapuyat itong hostage-taker baka sakaling  i-release na ang hostages. Those were my specific instructions, which I gave to General Magtibay," the mayor said.

(My orders to General Magtibay were: you might be staying here until early morning. Just wait it out. Wait for the hostage-taker to get tired and he might release the hostages.)

Lim has been accused of escalating the hostage situation last Monday after he allegedly ordered the arrest of the hostage-taker's brother, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, at the height of the crisis. One of the survivors said the arrest angered the hostage-taker.

Lim, however, said he merely wanted the hostage-taker's brother to be brought to the police station to stop him from further agitating the hostage-taker.

The Manila mayor said he was informed of the hostage incident at around 10:45 a.m. while he was in a meeting. He clarified that his initial order to Magtibay was for the area to be secured to ensure the safety of the hostages.
 
"Pumunta ka na dun at sabihin mo lang sa kanya na i-cordon yung area to ensure the safety of the hostages. Walang makikipag-usap sa hostage taker kundi yung hostage negotiator. Yun ang nasa rules e," Lim reiterated.

"Dahil kami, as chairman ng crisis management committee, hanggang advisory lang kami. We can only suggest. We cannot interfere in the operations. Yan ang katotohanan dyan," he added.
 
Lim denied that he did not want members of the Special Action Force to take part in the siege of the hijacked bus because he wanted the Manila Police District SWAT Team to have all the credit, in case the hostages were saved.
 
"Kasinungalingan na naman yan Ted, ano, hindi ko nga alam kung sinong gumagawa ng mga storyang ito e. Wala akong binibigay na order na ganun. Ang sinasabi ko nga sa inyo, ang kausap ko lang ay si General Magtibay at yung hostage negotiator,” Lim said.  

"Wala akong sinasabing huwag gagamitin yung SWAT. Sino namang sira ulo na magsasabing wag dumalo yung SWAT, e kumpleto sila sa equipment?” he added.