MERGED: Quirino Grandstand Hostage Crisis

[slyder10]

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This is happening everyday to our OFWs....The HK hostage event just magnified it adding to the speculation that Filipinos are persecuted because of that incident. That incident was an isolated incident and the travel block is temporary. Instead of thinking how we are kawawa because we are being singled out due to the incident, think again. This has happened before to other countries, we are not that special na sa ato jud ni una nahitabo. So instead of spreading paranoia to instigate fear and over reaction, try to think of ways how to lessen the tension and fix the problem, not add fuel to the fire.

we are not special at all and this is not an isolated incident. This is an International Incident!! fear is imminent. how can you fix the problem if the one who's suppose to do damage control is the one fuelling the damage. i'd rather think of the worst so that i could prepare for it, because it's the suprise of unforseen events that makes a person panic. and when in panic sound decision making is rare. so better be prepared than sorry. but still, hope for peace and friendship prevails in all of us.

in the first place thats how the hostage taking went ugly, because they all thought it would end up peacefully because they personally knew the assailant. they weren't ready for what was about to happen. that's why being ready or prepared of the unforseen is better than nothing at all.

[pugak_79]

na identify ni ang nagpa picture sa bus? this was not the first insensitive photo shoot after a tragedy here sa pinas. i remember sa katong bus accident sa busay that killed dozens of iranians earlier this year, naay nagpa picture sa site while the victims were still present. so i guess stupidity and insensitivity is universal, or just national

[EmptyNot4Long]

https://www.istorya.net/forums/politi...-facepalm.html

Is he really worth the draping?

[darkwing]

Aquino orders formation of elite strike force - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines—President Aquino has ordered the creation of an “elite strike force” that could be quickly deployed anywhere in the country to address crisis situations such as the hostage incident that resulted in the deaths of eight Hong Kong tourists on Monday.

Secretary Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications and Operations Office said Mr. Aquino wants 200 troopers each from the Armed Forces and the PNP to compose the small but specialized unit.

Coloma said it was one of the measures that the President adopted after the Chief Executive himself saw how the Manila police bungled the rescue of the Hong Kong tourists held by a disgruntled former policeman, Rolando Mendoza.

“That is the immediate action that would be implemented on orders of the President,” Coloma said in an interview over radio station dzRH.

“This is a strong force, highly trained, with modern equipment and could be deployed in any area in the archipelago,” the communications secretary said.

Mr. Aquino himself said that he already talked with the chiefs of the military and of the police to form the elite unit.

He also indicated in an earlier news conference that it would be better to concentrate resources on a few highly trained soldiers than have the necessary logistics spread over too many Special Weapons and Tactics teams or SWAT units.

“So, I already discussed this with Director General Versoza, and also the Chief of Staff General David, that both of their units will be organized that will operate on a national basis but perhaps on a smaller scale so that we can properly maintain them,” President Aquino said.

The President indicated the country’s special operations teams already received training on dealing with crisis situations in such places as ships, planes and buses but adequate weaponry and ammunition remain an issue.

“(Instead) of spreading the resources to so many SWAT teams, there would be a principal unit for both the AFP and the PNP to work together especially against large-scale terrorist activity that would have the highest capability possible,” Mr. Aquino said.

[EmptyNot4Long]

heads must roll but I also find it pretty unfair Police lang ang mangakasuhan. Media shares the blame. The live airing of the arrest of Mendoza's brother was a fatal trigger that could have been avoided had news outfits had enough common sense to know it is an emotional trigger with little or no media value worth its consequences.

You have a point. But just a bit of information, if there's an order from the "authorities" NOT to air something, surely the media will follow. Again, IF ONLY THERE'S AN ORDER. Makes sense?

[brandon boyd`]

yeah everything was wrong, including this...



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subra pas bagag nawong.. paka ulaw lang jud mo oi, kawa na lang jud respeto asa jud kaha ni ilang mga utok gikan ug ghimo man ug tourist spots ng posing uroy ning mga karahu. haskang mga gilam*go ninyo oi.

Awa si jinggoy g-itsa ra iyang Passport sa taga HK national..

[brandon boyd`]

ayaw! kay basin naa nay praktisan ug pusil ang mga abusayyaf...mo samot na sila ka hingigo, ehhehehe.

hehehe.. kulokoy man ka bro pero pwede ra pud para maningkamut sa sunod hostage drama kay mahadluk naman ipa assign sa mindanao ang mag pulpol ug mag binanga aw sila jud ibala daun sa mindanao pa praktisan sa Abusayyaaff.

[darkwing]

BBC News - Manila bus siege police ignored elite army unit's offer

Police handling the armed siege of a tour bus in Manila on Monday made no use of an offer of help from a military squad trained in hostage negotiations.

The Philippine capital's police chief told a Senate inquiry he believed his officers could handle the situation.

Eight tourists from Hong Kong were killed on board the bus after it was hijacked by a former policeman.

President Benigno Aquino has promised that "someone will pay" for the "many failures" in the operation.

The police action has been officially criticised in Hong Kong, where a three minute silence was held on Thursday for the victims.
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Philippine Army spokesman Brig Gen Jose Mabanta told the Senate enquiry that a specialist squad had been available and ready to help police, after the bus with 15 tourists on board was hijacked by an armed former police officer demanding his job back.

The team was "highly-trained, highly-equipped" and had experience in hostage situations involving Abu Sayyaf Islamist militants in the southern Philippines, he said.

The offer of help was accepted by the police but the soldiers were never used, he added.

But Brig Gen Mabanta could not say for certain that the outcome would have been different had the police handed over control to the army.

Manila Police's Chief Superintendent, Rodolfo Magtibay, meanwhile told the enquiry he had "honestly believed" that his force's Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team was sufficiently able to deal with the situation.

[darkwing]

PNP SAF






AFP LRB





i honestly do not know the reason why they chose to use these guys:

sayang gyud kaayo wala na gamit, sobrahan ra gyud pride ang taga PNP

[darkwing]

ANCALERT twitter

Sen. Zubiri thinks pride and "yabang" of MPD may have prevented it from seeking assistance of Special Action Force in assaulting bus