Category: Peace and Order

Robredo washes hands off hostage fiasco

Published by Ellen on August 31, 2010

This is a tragic comedy. You have a presidential aide who did not give the telephone to the President when Hongkong chief executive Donald Tsang called because he didn’t know who Tsang is.

Now you have a signed re-instatement of Mendoza by National Capital Region Police Chief Leocadio Santiago which didn’t reach the hostage taker in time because it was carried by motorcycle cop. They haven’t heard of fax machine!

From ABS-CBNnews

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo will not resign amid calls for his head to roll in the wake of the August 23 hostage crisis.

“Honestly, if I can tell myself that I was really responsible, you will not see me any minute longer in this office,” he told ABS-CBN News in an exclusive interview.

He added that he was not part of the crisis management group that led efforts to get dismissed police officer Rodolfo Mendoza to free the Hong Kong tourists held hostage inside a bus in Manila.

Bakit wala man lang mensahe sa Canada?

Published by Ellen on August 31, 2010

Pangwalong araw na ngayon mula nang mangyari ang trahedya ng panghu-hostage sa Rizal Park kung saan namatay ang walo sa 25 turista na galing Hongkong ngunit wala pang mensahe ng pakikiramay or paghingi ng paumanhin sa pamahalaan ng Canada.

Hindi ba alam ng Malacanang o ng Department of Foreign Affairs na tatlo sa walong namatay ay Canadian citizens? Isa na namang katangahan ito kung hindi nila alam dahil napabalita sa mga diyaryo as Canada at Hongkong. Nabanggit na rin ng mga diyaryo dito as Pilipinas.

Ang tatlong Hongkong Canadian ay ang negosyateng si Ken Leung (58 taong gulang) at ang kanilang dalawang anak na babae na sina Jessie (14) at Doris (21). Nakaligtas Ang asawa ni Leung na si Amy Ng at Ang kanilang 18-taong gular na anak na lalaki na si Jason.
Inuperahan si Jason as utak dahil napukpuk raw siya ng malakas as ulo.

Natuto ba tayo?

Published by Ellen on August 29, 2010

Dumadaan sa matinding pagsubok ngayon ang pamahalaang Aquino dahil sa trahedya na nangyari noong Lunes sa Rizal Park kung saan walong turistang galing Hongkong ang namatay sa palpak na operasyun ng pamahalaan sa panghu-hostage ng isang napatalsik na pulis.

Hindi lang ang mga pulis ang lumabas na palpak. Pumalpak rin ang Malacañang at Department of Foreign Affairs sa tawag ni Donald Tsang, chief Executive ng Hong Kong Special Administrative Region na sakop ng higanteng People’s Republic of China.

Hindi pinakausap kay Pangulong Aquino si Tsang nang tumawag ito ng hapon pa lang. Una sabi ang aide ni Aquino na nakatanggap ng tawag ay hindi kilala kung sino si Tsang. Umiba na ang linya ng Malacanang ngayon. Sabi kilala naman daw si Tsang kaya lang hindi raw sila sigurado kung si Tsang nga dahil sa trunkline tumawag at wala naman daw pasabi muna. Kaya itinuro sa Department fo Foreign Affairs.

Hindi pa rin lusot si Mayor Lim

Published by Ellen on August 28, 2010

Akala siguro ni Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, mababawasan ang sisi sa kanya sa paghingi daw ng tawad sa kanya ni Chief Supt. Rodolfo Magtibay na siyang nagsabi na si Lim ang nag-order na arestuhin si SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, kapatid ng hostage-taker na si dating Senior Police Inspector Rolando Mendoza.

Sinabi ito ni Magtibay sa imbestigasyon ng Senado. Sang-ayon naman ang lahat na maayos ang takbo ng negosasyun sa simula at nagpalaya na nga ng ilang hostages. Nag-iba ang ihip ng hangin ng makita ni Rolando Mendoza na kinakaladkad ang kapatid niya ng mga pulis. Live ito pinapakita sa TV. May TV ang bus.

Gusto ko lang klaruhin. Hindi ko kinukunsinti ang ginawa ni Rolando Mendoza. Malaki ang kasalanan niya sa gulong ito. Ngunit lalong lumaki ang krisis dahil sa kapalpakan ng ating mga opisyal.

Unending confusion

Published by Ellen on August 26, 2010

Our efforts to get clarification on why Hongkong Chief Executive Donald Tsang was not able to talk with President Aquino during last Monday’s hostage-taking crisis has led us to more confusion.

In his press conference Monday evening, after eight of the 22 Hongkong nationals on a sightseeing visit to the Philippines ended up dead when a dismissed policemen held them hostage for 12 hours, Tsang said “since 4pm” he had been trying to call up Aquino “but all efforts failed.”

The tragedy has resulted in diplomatic fall-outs. The Philippine consulate in Hongkong has been a scene of emotional protests from Hongkong nationals. Philippine Airlines and Manila hotels have reported cancellation of tourists reservations.

Beijing has refused to receive the top-level delegation (Vice President Jejomar Binay, Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, and Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda) being sent by Aquino until such time that investigation on the tragedy is completed.

Postscript: How the media covered the Grandstand carnage

Published by Ellen on August 26, 2010

by Tessa Jamandre VERA Files Despite the criticisms hurled at the media for the way they covered last Monday’s hostage crisis, most of them observed…

Hong Kong leader Tsang’s phone calls stopped with President Aquino’s aides

Published by Ellen on August 26, 2010

Update: Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma issued the following statement on Inquirer’s story on his statement re President Aquino’s failure to take HK’s Donald Tsang’s call last Monday. See story in the comments:

The headline of this story is not correct.

When I was interviewed over ABS-CBN this morning, I did not state nor imply any “doubts (that the) HK chief called (President) Aquino during (the) hostage crisis” last Monday, August 23.

The report quotes me as having said, “Di kapanipaniwala yan dahil ‘accessible’ siya sa lahat ng oras.” (That is unbelievable because the President is accessible all the time).

What I referred to as being unbelievable was the claim published in earlier newspaper reports that President Aquino was “inaccessible” at that time.

The following story came out in the South China Morning Post today, Aug. 26, 2010:

[Raissa’s note: I am posting this with the permission of my editor. Just to clarify, I did talk to foreign affairs spokesman Ed Malaya to get the department perspective but he declined to comment. ]

It was the case of the telephone calls that didn’t get through.

An anxious Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen was never put through to Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Monday. Despite at least two phone calls, Aquino’s aides did not tell their head of state that Hong Kong’s leader needed to speak to him.

This is how it all started:

It is 4pm – the hostage crisis has lasted for more than five hours. Tsang, watching the drama unfold on television, is desperate to contact the new Philippines leader.

Jackie Chan, a voice of reason and friendship in times of sorrow and recrimination

Published by Ellen on August 25, 2010

by TJ Dimacali
GMANews TV

Action movie superstar Jackie Chan provided a voice of reason and extended a hand of friendship to Filipinos over the recent hostage crisis via his verified Twitter account, @EyeOfJackieChan.

Jackie Chan explained that he had just arrived in Hong Kong from South Korea and was shocked to learn of the tragic hostage crisis last August 23 that left eight tourists from Hong Kong dead.

Making up to Hongkong (subtitle:Donald Tsang who?)

Published by Ellen on August 24, 2010

President Aquino yesterday called up Donald Tsang, chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, to personally express his condolences to the families of eight Hongkong residents who died last Monday in Manila after they were held hostage by a dismissed policeman while on a sightseeing tour.

Malacañang also said they will be sending a high-level delegation to Hongkong to meet with Tsang, who had demanded a “full account” of last Monday tragedy.

Hongkong newspapers carried Tsang’s statement saying Monday, he had been trying to contact Aquino “since 4pm ..but all efforts failed.” He said the way the Aquino government handled the hostage situation was “regrettable” and “disappointing.”

Told about Tsang’s statement, Aquino said he did not know about Tsang’s call and that nobody told him about it.

Inquiries about the incident revealed that while the hostage situation was going on, Aquino was closely monitoring it, and he was talking with police authorities constantly. He told his staff that he won’t be taking any calls unless it’s extremely important.

Tumbukin ang problema

Published by Ellen on August 24, 2010

Iba-iba ang opinyun sa nangyari kahapon sa panhu-hostage ngunit lahat naman sang-ayon na ang nagpaglala ng isang delikado na na sitwasyun ay ang pag-aresto ng mga pulis sa kapatid ng hostage-taker.

Ang nang hostage ay si dating Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza. Ang kanyang kapatid naman na nasa Manila Police Department traffic bureau ay si SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza.

Ang sama kasi ng pagkahuli ng pulis na kuhang-kuha sa TV na pinapanoon naman ni Rolando sa bus. Hapon nang pumunta si Gregorio sa Luneta nang mabalitaan niya sa radio na nag-hostage ang kapatid niya. Noong una, pinayagan pang mga pulis si Gregorio na maka-usap si Rolando . Pinaki-usapan nga niya nga na palawigin ang deadline lampas sa alas-tres ng hapon na kanyang unang binigay na pumayag naman.

Nag-iba ang takbo ng sitwasyun nang inaresto ng mga pulis si Gregorio at sinabing kakasuhan daw ng pakikipagsabwatan kay Rolando. Siyempre natakot si Gregorio lalo pa nang dinadaan daw siya sa likuran ng presinto. Sa takot niya, tumakbo siya sa media na nagku-cover.

Nang pinapanood ko ang pag-aresto kay Gregorio, naala-ala ko ang eksena ng paghablot ng mga kamag-anak ng asawa ni Ted Failon habang sila ay nagbabantay sa kanilang naghiningalong kapatid sa hospital.