by Tessa Jamandre
VERA Files
The problem: Many of the cops themselves knew no more than the media about the unfolding events and, seasoned journalists observed, police appeared to lack standard procedures in handling crises like the Monday carnage.
The media arrived early at the Quirino Grandstand, where Chief Inspector Rolando Mendoza had seized a bus bearing tourists from Hong Kong. Media reinforcements followed as everyone expected the coverage to drag on for hours. They knew this from experience, having covered the assault on the detention facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig in March 2005, the hijacking of a bus carrying school children in Manila in 2007, and the standoff at the Manila Peninsula Hotel also in 2007.
Click here (VERA Files) for the rest of the story.
I don’t know but I got all the detailed reports (blow by blow) from TV & radio (media). As if I’m right there at the scene of the incident. Hmmm…..
Susunod ang media sa order ng awtoridad ng kapulisan kung meron, yan ay sigurado. For responsible practitioners, they know their perimeters, yung mga pa-bida ang problema.
Palpak talaga ang pulis. Unang-una, isang katutak sila pero walang naka-isip na i-secure ang crime scence with a long long yellow ribbon. Kung meron nyan, everyone kasama ang media would never attemp to cross the defining line. Di ba automatic yan kapag may crimen o nangyayaring ganyan? Sabagay, gas mask ay meron daw pero naiwan sa headquarters pero more than 10 hrs and hostage drama wala ring naka-isip na kumuha. Morons…!!!
Pati ba naman ang pambili ng yellow ribbon nakupit?
Mas magaling sa kotong ang ating mga pulis kaysa abilidad sa scene of crime management.
Mayor Lim denied issuing order to arrest the brother. Ohh, baka naman lalabas sa huli si pnoy ang nagutos. Paano ang– heads should roll.
PNP will investigate to see if any of the eight people died from gunshot from the police/swat team. Will you believe the results? Should not an independent, or other than PNP should examine so?
Ok lang sa akin yung coverage in toto. But the scenes where the SWAT teams were trying to get into the bus could have been delayed para hindi alam ni Mendoza kung ano ang nangyayari. Television stations always have to have the scoop on something big. Their cameras have to roll all the time. No need for guidelines from the PNP or anybody, the media should have the common sense to delay their coverage when security is breached. Ngayon tuloy sabi sa Congress, magpapasa daw ng law tungkol dito. Pwede ba tama na yang law law na yan. Sobrang dami na nga ang regulations. Sana naman sa mga networks, pulisan na lang ninyo ang mga crew ninyo. Learn when to delay your telecast if it is for the good of the nation.
If putot survived the resignation of the Hyatt 10, Pnoy should survive the FIRING of his TOP MEN! Kung magiging softie softie siya ngayon, his PLOTTING enemies will know their next move to further undermine him.
“Ngayon tuloy sabi sa Congress, magpapasa daw ng law tungkol dito. Pwede ba tama na yang law law na yan.” Says parasabayan.
I can’t agree more. What is obvious is the lack of appropriate training in dealing and handling situations such as that Bloody Monday by RP authorities. Laws are not needed here. Many precedents and scenarios dealing with incidents such as this hostage taking have taken place here and overseas. To be blunt, our police force are a lazy bunch such that they have stagnated in their posts. The leadership of the police force are much more interested in enriching themselves that their subordinates follow-suit.
I’m sorry if I sound harsh but harsh the situation is. We really need to wake-up from this stupor. We the public rely heavily on the integrity and competence of our authorities. And fail us they did.
27 August 2010
Please lang… right now, we should stop pointing accusing fingers at one another.
Let’s study our system of media covering. If there’s an involvement of national security, let’s practive prudence, we know that if the culprits can watch/see the movements of the troops then they will definitely know wehre to position themselves.
I say we should start prudence in delivering to the people our footages, after all tayo rin naman ang nasisisra sa mata ng maga dayuhan e.
Pagpapaumanhin Po!!! Aminin man o hindi ng ating mga memdia personalities e, maraming pasaway sa ating hanay. Basta ang important e makakuha at makapagbigay lang ng balita, na hindi na rin iniisip ang kapakanan ng mga biktima.
In the case of the police, it seems that they have no concrete guidelines in handling the media and how to relate to them the sensitivity of the situation which can cause more damage and harm.
The PNP should conduct rogoruos training and to get the right equipments. Tama na yung kayabangan na kaya na namin ito o kaya kaya nyo na yan mentality. Tapos pag pumalpak e parang maamong tupa.
Tama na siguro ang mga sisihan at dapat nating alamin kung paano natin maayos at maitutuwid ang kamalian. ang problema natin e ningas kugon tayong lahat, sa umpisa lang at sabandang huli e malilimutan din.
Dapat na tayo ay magutlong tulongan para sa ikakabuti ng imahe ng ating bansa.
prans
ito ang larong pen pen de serafin…
Prans, sangayon ako sa mga nasabi mo. Kaya lang ang pamumuno ng bansa ang mukhang may problema ngayon na nagyari na ang madugong lunes. Hinde nila matukoy ang nararapat o tugmang aksyon at kasagutan sa mga pangyayari. Mangyari pa kanya-kanyang diskarte ang mga tauhan ni PNoy. Kung baga sa orkestra, walang taga kumpas o kunduktor.
Iyong media naman, basta katotohanan ang isinasaulat palagay ko okay lang. Iyong naman ang papel nila. Kung kontrol para maiwasan ang pagbigay impomasyon sa hostage-taker, mga authoridad ang dapat mangasiwa noon, na hinde naman nagawa.
By this time, alam na mga media companies kung ano ang nangyari. Sabi nila, nirereview na nila ang klase ng coverage na nangyari. Let us just hope na sa susunod (sana naman wala nang susunod pa) natuto na sila sa nangyari.
Statement of the National Union of Journalists inthe Philippines:
A call for self-examination
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) grieves for the loss of so many lives in the hostage-taking at the Quirino Grandstand on Monday.
We condole with families of all the victims of this tragedy and we join the calls for a thorough and swift investigation on why and how the bloodbath happened.
The Philippine government and the Philippine National Police have already acknowledged errors and shortcoming in responding to and addressing the incident. We believe that they were primarily responsible for supposedly controlling the situation, ending the crisis and ensuring the safety of the hostages.
But even as we grieve, we call on colleagues in the media to seriously and comprehensively examine how we covered the crisis and if our coverage in any way contributed to the tragic end of the hostage-taking.
It is media’s responsibility to cover events and report these as comprehensively and truthfully as possible.
But some colleagues clearly violated ethical standards and established procedures and guidelines in covering crisis situations including hostage-taking incidents.
Various media institutions and journalism scholars have laid down guidelines in covering crisis situations including hostage-taking. We urge news organizations to abide by these guidelines and to ensure that those it assigns to cover these crisis situations are adequately trained and informed.
We also encourage media owners, leaders and organizations to meet and agree on a set of protocols for the industry to guide us during similar situations.
The hostage-taking incident has once again highlighted the need for more trainings and education on our ranks to make sure that we do more good than harm in the performance of our work.
But even as we examine our actions and admit mistakes and shortcomings, we stand firm against abrogating our right to cover important events of public interest.
We oppose House Bill 2737 filed by Cebu Rep. Luis Quisumbing and similar measures aimed at imposing a media blackout during crisis situations. Legislated restrictions on media coverage are more dangerous and could pave the way for abuses and excesses by authorities in responding to crisis situations.
ABS-CBN statement:
Media’s job is to tell the story, but no story is worth even one life.
We will always cooperate with authorities in trying to resolve complex situations like the Aug 23 hostage crisis.
If the government had called for a news blackout, ABS-CBN would have supported it.
We are done with an initial assessment of our coverage and continue to review our policies.
We exercised self-restraint on Monday:
1. We refused to air the hostage taker’s threats live about a 3 pm deadline to avoid fuelling public fear.
2. We refused to air the hostage taker’s interview until after negotiations were finished.
3. We refused to be part of hostage negotiations.
4. All throughout the day and until the first shots were aired, we kept our cameras 400 meters away from the bus, giving us shaky video that viewers complained about. Our teams never crossed the police line.
5. Although we had access to members of the police reaction team, we held back interviews which could compromise their plans and/or location.
6. After the police tried to arrest the hostage taker’s brother, our team physically stepped back to comply with police request.
7. After the assault began, we tried to limit our shots to avoid showing police movements. We stayed with extreme close-ups or wide shots.
8. We immediately complied when police asked us to turn off our lights explaining the grainy shots viewers complained about.
9. We avoided tampering with evidence at crime scene. Instead, we asked Soco to shoot the video instead of entering the bus ourselves.
This wasn’t enough.
We acknowledge airing a report that detailed the position of the police during the assault.
During the arrest of Gregorio Mendoza, we considered pulling away from the coverage but a man was crying for help.
In other countries around the world, governments set the ground rules for situations like this. One network cannot unilaterally declare a news blackout. Press freedom issues take a back seat during situations like this – where the government already has the power to define the terms to media.
We are taking the public’s views to heart. Monday’s tragic events triggered intense soul-searching for us. Such is the irony of a profession that wields so much power but relies entirely on self-doubt to gain — and keep — its credibility.
We ask our broadcast colleagues to join us in an industry review. Let us unite and work together to put in place measures to collectively decide when we stop live coverage in the absence of government presence of mind.
GMA News’ statement on its coverage of the bus siege at Quirino Grandstand
Immediately after our live coverage of the hostage taking and its bloody outcome last Monday, we reviewed how we covered the situation.
We are now taking a second look at our existing policies and processes to determine how these can be improved and how we can fill up what is lacking.
At the end of this review, we will come up with a revised set of rules and guidelines to be implemented during situations that pose risks to our personnel and to the public.
We are also open to dialogue with authorities on how we can work together in situations like this in the interest of the safety of the public, especially hostages.
Hong Kong Journalists Association
Dear President Aquino,
The Hong Kong Journalists Association expresses its deepest condolences to the families of those who died in Manila’s hostage tragedy. We also want to express our appreciation and respect to those who acted bravely and astutely during the long standoff, thus allowing some of the hostages to survive. We are, however, filled with anger and concern over the blame being heaped on the media for allegedly contributing to the tragedy.
The HKJA notes with concern that President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines made the media the scapegoat when he said: “Media coverage of his brother being taken into custody further agitated the hostage-taker…” Using this flimsy excuse, Mr. Aquino said he would consider imposing new restrictions on media coverage should a similar crisis occur.
We have no idea what further restrictions are under consideration but what we are sure of is that President Benigno Aquino’s words were uttered hastily and without careful consideration. Without a thorough investigation such conclusions cannot be taken seriously and the HKJA views the president’s hasty conclusions with grave misgivings.
The role of the media is to tell the world what is happening and what has happened. This is the essence of what the democratic world has come to know and to accept as freedom of the press and freedom of expression. The media’s presence is vital to the preservation of human rights of minorities in any conflict. As in the case of Manila’s killings, nobody can tell if the same tragedy would not have taken place without the presence of the media. What we can be sure of is that without the presence of the media no knowledge of this horrific tragedy would have been known to the outside world.
Moreover, the police force of the Philippines should have known that negotiations were going on between the gunman and his brother, and that this was being telecast. The act of arresting the brother would, clearly, irritate the gunman. Yet the police forcibly wrestled the brother down and handcuffed him, all directly in front of the media.
The police, clearly, had neither strategy nor the necessary know-how to deal with such a situation. With the development of the new media, it is unrealistic to ask the media not to broadcast live in a matter of huge public interest not only to the Filipinos themselves, but also to people in Hong Kong and elsewhere. Proper media arrangements, including a safe area for the media at the scene, in accordance with internationally accepted standards, are of paramount importance. None were forthcoming.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association calls on the Philippines government to refrain from using this incident to introduce harsh measures against the media in order to cover up their incompetence. We will closely monitor the incident and any further deterioration of press freedom in Philippines arising from this tragedy.
A preemptive strike and right so too. They probably believe they’re dealing with a Gloria govt.
wala na lang mabalingan ng sisi kaya pati media na tama ang ginawa sinisisi. para sa akin bayani si mendoza, isang mabuting ama at highly decorated na pulis nagbuwis ng kanyang buhay para gisingin ang bulok na sistema. yan ang totoong dahilan ng hostage. mabait si mendoza kasi sa quirino dinala eeh paaano na lang kung sa gasoline station na malapit sa oil depo niya dinala ang bus, paano ia-assault ng mga tulis lalo na kung ang dalang dala ay armor piercing at glazer bullet. ang nakakalungkot hindi ang ugat ang inaalam ng gobyerno kundi paano ang pagpatay sa magiging hostage taker. alam ko ang nararamdaman ni mendoza kasi biktima rin ako ng pnp at minsan ko na rin na inisip ang ganun kasi wala ka ng malapitan ano ipapakain ko sa mga anak ko buti na lang may magulang pa ako na sumusuporta sa akin. mahirap paniwalaan ang kaso ni mendoza kasi malapit na siyang mag retiro kung may kakilala kayong pulis malalaman ninyo na ang malapit ng magretiro sa serbisyo ay todo ingat na baka makasuhan pa. halagang 20t ipagpapalit mo ba ang benepisyo at pangalan na iningatan mo sa mahabang panahon. maraming papasok sa utak mo kapag aburido ka, inisip ko rin na magpasabog ng grranada sa amin ng mga anak ko, gumawa ng eksena para mapansin ng media, mangholdap at gumanti sa iba pero nanalo pa rin ang katwiran sa akin at naiisip na hindi dapat madamay ang wala naman kinalaman sa kawalang hustisya na sinapit ko sa pnp, napolcom, dilg at ombudsman. sa nangyaring hostage kapag naulit ito ang magsasagawa nito ay mag iisip na rin kung paano ika-counter ang ang magiging hakbang ng elite force na itatatag ni pnoy. nasolusyunan ba ang problema lalo lang lumala. batas ang problema yun ang ugat pangalawa ang kawalang aksiyon ng mga opisina ng gobyerno na dapat tupaein ang trabaho ng walang hinihintay na kapalit yung parehas o fair na hustisya. kaya nga maraming tayong kababayan na lumalaban sa gobyerno katulad ng npa, magdalo, atbp. dahil sa kawalan ng hustisya at sobrang pangungurakot sa gobyerno.
sa nakita ng hongkong media personnel na nagpunta sa bahay ni mendoza nakita nila na maayos ang pamilya nito kaya ang ipinagtataka nila ay bakit ginawa ito ni mendoza.
kapag nagkaroon ng whitewash sa investtigation lalo na tayong mapapahiya sa buong mundo. magaling na magician ang kapulisan, alam ko dahil galing ako jan. may mga pulis na mandurukot at magsasaka. magsasaka tataniman ka ng drug o anumang illegal na gamit. mandurukot ito yung dudukutin ka at ito-torture bago katayin.
hindi solusyon ang news blackout sa maraming incident kasi lalo magiging abuso ang mga tulisman.
From my technical point of view:
I we only had competent cops and gov’t executives, everything could have been solved by technical personnel, which I doubt that our response teams have any.
1. Imagine it took them half an hour to realize there was an emergency exit door (All these times I was cursing and even tried telepathy to point to the cops the door handle)? It’s basic that they get the bus model and get their LTO database people working on the bus specs. The tour agency might even have an identical bus and they can use it for practice and/or planning.
2. The TV inside the bus can easily be disabled had they disconnected power from the battery. Or cut the cables. This was easily accessible from outside. Any mechanic from any bus company parked in nearby LRT Central Station would have shown them how.
3. A shot through the window/door would have shattered the tube rendering the TV useless. If a sniper from the grandtand’s roof can make a headshot, how much more to a TV screen at leat 21 inch across?
4. Even if Mendoza had spotters in the vicinity, they can only inform him by cellphone or handheld radio (CB/VHF/UHF). Handheld radios need no special equipment to jam except for a signal scanner and and overpowering amplifier, which many police stations already have. Only recently, several signal jammers were intercepted and confiscated. (suspected earlier to be used in jamming signals from the PCOS machines, remember?) They could have used that to disable cellphone communications to and from Mendoza. It’s a cheap device sold openly unlike cellphone signal interceptors they used in Hello Garci. They should have that in their logcom. If not, they could have easily requested the cell companies to shut down their transmitters covering the grandstand area. The telcos cannot refuse that. Would have disabled the reporters’ cellphones, too, which many radio stations use for live annotation from field reporters.
5. Establish a communication center where major TV and radio stations would be constantly and simultaneously monitored. For all you know there are critical events that suddenly pop out on the airwaves not necessarily coming from the major networks.
I and many others still prefer uninterrupted live coverage, hence, it is the duty of Police to allow media to cover any ongoing crime in the true spirit of transparency without compromising their ongoing operations. That would be ideal. Who cares what TV/Radio/internet media are reporting if the target doesn’t have access to those?
Imagine if the Victory Liner hostage taking was blacked out, the next day we will read on the papers that the little boy was killed by stab wounds inflicted by the crazy hostage-taker, it was only vigilant media (also covered live) that pushed the crime lab to release the report that later says the kid actually died from fatal gunshot wounds.
Last Monday, at the very critical moment when the shooting began, NCRPO’s Santiago was busy giving Mel Tiangco an interview live over TV instead of directing operations as the crisis worsened.
bayong,
alam natin dito ang masakit na sinapit mo sa serbisyong matagal mo nang iniiyak dito. Makakarelate ka nga kay Mendoza. Pero humahanga ako sa iyo dahil kahit alam natin ang hirap na pinagdadaanan mo, marunong kang magdala at hindi nagpatalo sa imbuyong ng damdamin.
Siguro ay nakakatulong sa iyo na nailalabas mo dito ang iyong mga hinaing.
Saludo ako sa iyo. Panatilihin mo sana yang pagiging matalino at makatwiran mo. God bless you.
Here’s Inquirer’s take regarding broadcast media reporting of the incident:
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/editorial/view/20100827-289014/Black-day-for-media
Kwentuhan time muna.
Ang kauna-unahang hostage rescue na napanood ko ay live at sa mismong pinangyarihan (usisero rin pala ako!) Maliit pa ako, mga 9 yrs. old ako nung i-hostage ni Basilio Marcelo (?) yung pamilya ng Instsik (din!) sa 4th floor ng isang building sa EDSA pagitan ng Tramo at Rotonda ng Pasay. Tindahan ng diesel parts yung ilalim, Izuparts yata pangalan na naging Allied Bank, ngayon ay auto supply na uli.
Pinapanood namin mula sa kabilang sidewalk ng EDSA habang nakatago sa likod ng isang van. Sa tagal ay umuwi muna kami para kumain saka bumalik nung hapon. Live siya sa TV. Kaya lang pangit sa TV kasi black and white pa noon, hehehe.
(cont.)
Sa madaling salita, pagbalik namin meron ng microphone yung hostage taker, bale nasa roof deck sila sa 4th floor kasama yung buong pamilya ng Intsik. Sabi niya sa mic kakausapin niya si Mayor Villegas. Sagot nung negotiator sa megaphone at nakatungtong sa ibabaw ng VW beetle, hindi pwede kasi nasa Pasay siya, hindi si Villegas ang mayor dito, sabi niya wala si Mayor Cuneta, nasa London (hindi totoo yun).
Di ko na maalala yung ibang demands basta humihingi siya ng pera para pakawalan yung mga hostage sabay hinawakan yung isang baby na halos bagong panganak sa dalawang paa at ibinitin ng patiwarik na pormang ilalaglag sa kalsada. Sigawan ang mga tao.
Sa puntong iyon kumilos na yung mga lalaki sa gilid ng building at nagtali ng puting panyo sa ulo (typical yan nung 70s) countersign yun ng friendly forces. Wala pang naka-kevlar helmet noon. Wala ring naka bullet-proof. Isinandal nila ang isang mahabang hagdanang gawa lang sa kawayan na abot hanggang sa maliit na bintana sa 3rd floor. Tinuklap nila yung jalousie at pumasok ang may 6 na tao.
Sa baba naman ay may mga naglilibot na mga lalaking de baril at pinauwi na kaming mga bata. Yung mga matatanda pinagsabihang manahimik lang kung ayaw nilang madamay. Mga pulis din sila.
(cont.)
Takbo kami sa bahay at inabot namin sa TV na nagsasalita pa rin siya sa mic habang nakaharap sa kalsada kung saan naroon yung kausap niya, ng biglang nabasag yung mga bintana sa likuran niya, halos sabay-sabay nakita yung mga Metrocom na naka-armalite – takbo yung isa sa isang kanto ng roofdeck kung nasaan may hostage, yung isa, dun sa kabilng kanto na may mga hostage din habang sabay-sabay na pinutukan si Marcelo ng ang iba ay nakaluhod, may baril din kasi si Marcelo. Magaling yung mga Metrocom, segundo lang ang assault, todas na si Marcelo. Ang direksiyon pa ng putok ay pataas upang hindi madamay yung mga taong nasa ibaba kung pababa ang tutok.
Kita yan sa TV pero hindi kita sa scene kasi pataas ang tingin doon. Kita lang nila si Marcelo habang nalugmok ng pabitin sa railing ng building. Ilang beses inislo-mo replay yung pagbaril kay Marcelo pati na yung pag-ungol niya sa mikropono na kagaya nung ungol ni Panfilo Villaruel nung banatan siya sa control tower ng NAIA. Hanggang sa evening news ay paulit-ulit din pinalabas.
Matagal na naiwan doon ang marka ng dugong umagos kay Marcelo, 90s na ay nandoon pa, (1971-73 nagyari ito) nawala lang nung papinturahan ng Allied Bank yung buong building dahil malas daw yung bakas ng ugo na yun.
Gusto ko lang i-highlight na kahit news blackout itong sitwasyong ito, walang kaibahan dahil wala namang access yung hostage taker sa TV o radyo doon sa bubungan. Mahirap din mag-sniper kasi ay walang kasintaas o mas mataas na building doon. Sa lapad ng EDSA, kung pumutok ka ng pataas ay iba na ang trajectory ng bala pagdating sa kabila. Kung matapat pa sa tip ng parabola yung target ay zero force na ang bala. Naks, Physics yan, at alam yan ng mga pulis noon.
Ngayon kaya?
Akala niyo Noypi media lang ang palpak? Noypi police lang ang tanga? The very efficient Germans did it first, in 1972.
wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_massacre
Parang Noypi SWAT din sila – Sangkaterbang walang alam talaga.
That should not provide consolation, of course. But it shows that media will do what it is supposed to do, report to the news hungry people, especially Pinoys, na lumalapit pa sa action.
Guilty Your Honor. Miron din ako sa coup where Biazon was the hero. Nandoon kami sa V.V. Soliven, across Camp Crame.
The German experience, however, world, presumably, should have learned from the experience. Tayo lang ata ang hindi natuto.
I also lament the fact that nobody stepped up to the plate, whether Mayor Lim (nakatago), Robredo, or the PNP head. Now everybody is stepping up to the mike to say that it was not their fault, but the shortcoming of somebody else.
Hindi na naman una ang Pinoy diyan. George W. Bush did not leave the Florida classroom during 9/11. His Dick (the VP, I mean), was nowhere to be found.
In Katrina, ganoon na naman.
In the BP leak, hayun din, ang tagal ng response ng team Obama.
In recent memory, I know of only one person who stepped up to the plate – Rudy Giuliani. When you do, you either get struck out, or score a home run. But at least there is a fify-fifty chance. When you do not step up, talagang 100% you lose.
Kulang man sa delivery or effectivity, I salute Isko Moreno. He stepped up to the plate.
Tama ka ka he stepped up to the plate. But he missed a screwball.
Tongue,
Na-aliw ako sa pagkwento mo ng part ng history ng ating kapulisan nuong araw na mataas ang kalidad ng serbisyo at karespe-respeto. May dedikasyon kasi sa kanyang sinumpaang trabaho. Isa pa ay nabibigyan ng tamang training. Ngayon kasi mga pulis-patola na. Puro pagkakakitaan at tong ang alam. Nilamon na ng politika, palakasan-system at greed! Na-alala ko tuloy nuong panahon ni Makoy na may mga sharpshooter na pulis in plain clothes na sumasakay ng piblikong sasakyan para ma-netralized ang mga holdaper na nambibiktima ng mga pasahero. Well-trained ang mga Metrocon nuon.
INJUSTICE!!!
Yan ang ugat ng tragedy na ito. Marami tuloy ang naging biktima. Malungkot na mga inosenteng tao ang nadamay. Sumisigaw si Rolando Mendoza ng injustice sa kanyang kaso. One wonder kung bakit nga ba ang isang decorated na pulis and soon to be retired, ay makagawa ng ganitong krimen. Malaki ang magagawa ng media na malaman nating ang dahilan ng pag-alburoto ni Mendoza. Sa palagay ko ay maraming mahahalukay sa kabulukan sa ating justice, social at political system. Lumalabas na ang sanga-sangang kapalpakan. The lives of those who died in this tragedy will not be in vain kung matututunan ang mga kamalian at maiwawasto ito para sa hinaharap. I pray that their souls find rest in God.
“I know of only one person who stepped up to the plate – Rudy Giuliani.” – snv
Giuliani is a Transvestite! He is a worthless dog! Bilib masyado sa sarili, what a croc.
“Akala niyo Noypi media lang ang palpak? Noypi police lang ang tanga? The very efficient Germans did it first, in 1972.” – snv
The German Chancellor was not involved, if he was per “florry’s statement”, lives would had been saved.
Bayong/TT: We will never know, but why didn’t Mendoza go to the PNP headquarters and pummel those who he think had a hand on his being kicked out of the force? Worldwide, those that were fired from workplace go that route.
tru blue
1st kung kapwa pinoy ang magiging biktima hindi masyado makakatawag na pansin kaya nga mga tourist ang target nya. 2nd paano siya makakalapit eh sankaterba ang bodyguard ng mga nasa mataas na posisyon sa pnp o maging sa ombudsman, siyempre mas madali biktimahin ang walang laban. 3rd sa tingin ko hindi yung pang personal ang main concern niya kasi masyado mababaw kung yun lang matagal ng may kimkim na sama ng loob si mendoza sa pnp. marami sa mga pulis ang may hinaing sa sistema ng kapulisan maliban na lang yung mga bagong pulis na hindi pa abot masyado ang bulok na sistema.
sinasabi pa na malaki ang kapalpakan ng media dahil namo-monitor daw ni mendoza ang galaw ng mga tulis. ordinary human behavior alam mong nasa panganib ka manood ka pa ba ng tv eh di yung actual na lumulusod na ang titingnan mo. ako nasisiguro ko hindi lang si mendoza ang nakabaril sa mga tourist kundi pati yung mga assault team. nasasabi ko ito the way kung paano ang porma ng mga assault team. habang pinapanood ko yung live na hostage situation sabi ko katawa-tawa ang kilos ng mga tulisman magaling lang talaga sa orbitan. orbit yung pag ikot sa mga lugar ng sugalan para kumuha ng intelihensiya.
Correction:
Dennis Sabangan of the European Press Photo Agency mentioned in the story wrote that their Southeast Asia bureau chief is Barbara Walton based in Bangkok.
He is the chief photographer here in Manila.
Statement of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility:
The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) reiterates its warning, made in many other instances in the past, that media failure to regulate themselves will invite government intervention.
It is in fact happening now, with the introduction of a bill in the House of Representatives that would require TV and radio networks to delay the airing of broadcasts during crisis situations, in addition to the idea being bandied about that government should impose news blackouts during crises—meaning keep the media ignorant and out of crisis venues.
Both are properly the calls of media organizations, which should have enough sense to know when to delay the airing of broadcasts as well as when to “black out”, the fundamental criterion for the latter being the responsibility not to make an already bad situation worse.
The ethical and professional protocols of both in journalism practice are fairly well-established. These protocols warn against live broadcasts of interviews, police operations and other reports. The same protocols are the result not only of hundreds of years of experience and journalism practice, but also of journalists’ engagement with the contemporary issues of terrorism, conflict, kidnapping, and hostage-taking. Best practice dictates that these protocols be observed. That they were not has led to legislators’ introducing such bills as those mandating delayed broadcasts.
No matter how seemingly well meaning, in the Philippine experience, such bills end up covering more than they originally intended. With public support—and such support is likely given the growing outrage over police mishandling of the August 23 crisis as well as the media’s role in it—such bills will take on lives of their own, and are likely to end up imposing greater restrictions on press freedom itself.
The media must oppose any attempt at legislated journalism ethics, which is a patent contradiction in terms, journalism ethics being a matter of voluntary compliance. But the media must also address their own limitations and failings if they are to deserve and to hold the moral high ground when defending their hard-won freedom from government restraint.
We urge our colleagues to resist blaming the police for not having imposed restrictions on them. The self-regulatory regime in which the media function demands that they do not wait to be told what to do, given the basic responsibility to minimize harm. When the situation began to compromise the hostages, the media should have discontinued live coverage, and to delay broadcasting inflammatory statements and footage.
We ask the media to abandon the urge to excuse themselves and to have the good faith to accept the errors—errors likely to have prolonged the crisis last August 23, and worse, to have contributed to the deaths of nine people—that they committed, and from there to relearn the fundamental principles of covering such situations. The first imperative is to assume that any hostage-taker, terrorist, etc., is media-savvy enough—and in fact often count on the media to help further their cause—to monitor TV and radio broadcasts.
That principle was either forgotten, or was never really known, by the three leading networks last Monday, as a consequence of which they aired detailed accounts of police operations including SWAT team deployments, and aired live the arrest of the hostage-taker’s brother which could have triggered the shooting of the hostages. Claims that it did not do so—the hostage taker may have started shooting because he saw the police arresting his brother, or he fired because the police fired first, etc.—are irrelevant and miss the point: given the unpredictability of hostage-taker or terrorist reactions to TV or radio broadcasts, the point is to assume that he or she is monitoring the media and could therefore react to media reportage or commentary in unpredictable ways.
Resistance to government regulation can only be meaningful if the media honor the self-regulatory regime that the constitutional protection to press freedom so clearly demands. A review by the media of the principles involved in that regime, the events of Monday indicate, is called for so that there can be a reasonable certainty that in similar, future crises, media coverage will not make an already bad situation worse—and in furtherance of the core ethical principle of not causing, or, at the very least, minimizing, harm.
Correction on my Kwentong Hostage Incident sa Pasay:
Si Mayor Claudio pa pala ang Mayor noon, hindi si Cuneta. And for accuracy, may kasamang isa si Marcelo noon, unang binaril sa bintana nung raiding team pag-akyat sa roofdeck.