Quirino Grandstand Hostage Taking
By JasperTore
@JasperTore (1275)
Philippines
August 24, 2010 2:07am CST
I was going home after a hell day yesterday when I the live telecast of hostage taking in Quirino Grandstand caught up my attention. I never imagined that an event like this will ever happen. The hostage taker was named Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, a police officer from Manila police District. He was relieved from his post as chief of the Mobile Patrol Unit in 2008 for his alleged involvement in drug-related crimes and extortion and he was demanding to be reinstated again. He was dismissed early this year for allegedly forcing a hotel chef to swallow shabu (methampetamine hydrochloride) and for allegedly attempting to extort P20,000 from him during interrogation. Mendoza has denied the charges and has file an appeal to the Ombudsman. After the hostage taking, 9 people were dead including Mendoza himself.
The people who have watched the full coverage was really dismay on how the police handled the situation. There was the factor that the media itself had made the situation more difficult since the bus itself has a television where Mendoza watched the live footage of TV networks and so he knew what the police where doing outside. Plus the lack of training in the police in handling situation and also the step by step procedure to free the hostages.
What can you say about this bloodbath last night? Where will the fault came from? Is it the police or the media? If you have also some fresh information that was not posted here kindly share it to us so that we can comment on that.
1 person likes this
6 responses
@junrapmian (2169)
• Philippines
24 Aug 10
I believe that our police forces lack the training they should have in the first place. And they should have agreed in the hostage-taker's request earlier. What triggers the hostage-taker's temper was when he saw on the bus' TV his brother and other relatives being forced to be brought to the police station. This could have been avoided if they have attended to the scene more calmly. Well, what else can we do? It is done. Let us not let this thing happen again. It is really a shame in the eyes of the international community.
@prettybakekang (1)
•
25 Aug 10
yeah, it's a big shame... but let's say the police tactics were a bit sloppy and the media did something to trigger the suspect's anger but it doesn't mean it's their fault! Instead of pointing fingers on who's to blame it's better to just resolve this issue and prevent it to happen again in the future. I believe that if there is someone to blame, it's the hostage taker itself! Whatever his reasons, what he did shouldn't be tolerated. Of course the police need proper training and equipment but what it's gonna be? That hostage taking is okay as long as the police are properly trained?! hah!
@rosielleanne (121)
• Philippines
27 Aug 10
I have only 3 words for this: MAJOR MAJOR FAIL! For me everything was wrong. Starting from Mendoza doing something like that just to get his job back, to the very lengthy time to free the hostages, to the media being there the whole time, and finally to have casualties in this tragic event. Oh, and don't forget the ever-present by-standers. For me, it showed no amount of discipline from everyone involved. It was really depressing to watch, knowing that the police should have done something else, they shouldn't have wasted time trying to do different things to have entrance to the bus, knowing that the media shouldn't have publicized the event while it was happening. I'm really disappointed with this event. I hope it wouldn't happen again, and that the government would do something so that something like this would not happen again.
@JasperTore (1275)
• Philippines
28 Aug 10
Wow, what a wonderful comment you have there! You even included the major major answer of the 4th runner up in Ms. Universe, Venus Raj. You really hit the target of the discussion.
I think this hostage taking should not be taken lightly by the government. It should be put into some real and very deep investigation to see who the rel culprit and have the factors of the major major failure punished.
@rsa101 (37977)
• Philippines
24 Aug 10
I guess there is some kind of fault in how the police had handled the situation there. But in fairness, they are not to be held responsible for everything since there are factors that triggered the failure of negotiations that happened there. I think the inclusion of Mendoza's brother was a mistake there since I think he became more of a sympathizer than negotiate in behalf of the Police.
The media in my opinion was needed there since the hostage taker was asking for them. Maybe if the media was not there it could have gone swiftly but casualty will not be avoided because police would not be conscious that there is someone watching the whole operations. But covering the arrest of Mendoza's brother did the trigger for the bloody incident. The Police focused on the arrest of the Brother forgetting the negotiations. I think they could have cordoned him and brought somewhere where the media would not be able to talk with him and they continued with the negotiation with the hostage taker instead. It took several minutes to really settle the arrest and this also lost the patience of the hostage taker.
The negotiations were actually doing good since they were able to release some hostages in there. The hostage taker was still cooperating with the negotiators back then.
@dorisday1971 (5657)
• Philippines
24 Aug 10
It was so shocking that such a tragic incident happened.
I, as well as the family and the rest of the Filipino people couldn't believe what happened yesterday.
I hope that there will be justice for the families of the victims.
@GreedyMoney (146)
• Philippines
24 Aug 10
i blame the media for this. i can't believe this has happened. the ducat case was almost. but this is a disaster.
@gzadlawan (76)
• Philippines
24 Aug 10
Part of the blame should be put to the police men, it was running smoothly until the policemen captured the brother of Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza which is for me, is the silliest thing they have done... If only they gave permission for the media as the hostage taker had requested them, there could haven't been a bloodbath on quirino grandstand.
@GreedyMoney (146)
• Philippines
24 Aug 10
i think would have been better mendoza was supposed to at least air his problems to the media instead of conducting hostage drama kill.
