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Tag: Aug 23 hostage taking

Sanga-sangang problema dahil sa palpak na desisyon sa trahedya ng Agosto 23

Sinabi ni Pangulong Aquino sa Inquirer na kaya daw yumuko ang Pilipinas sa kagustuhan ng China na boykotin ang awarding ceremonies ng prestihoso na Nobel Peace Prize sa Intsik na aktibista na si Liu Xiaobo ay dahil daw sa limang Pilipino na nasa death row sa China.

Nilalakad kasi ng Pilipinas na salbahin ang limang Pilipino na yun sa kamatayan.

Dalawang rason pa ang sinabi niya: ang Agosto 23 na trahedya at ang girian ng South at North Korea dahil may 50,000 na Pilipino raw sa South Korea.

Hayaan na natin ang away ng South Korea at North Korea. Sobrang malayo na yun sa isyu na ito.

PNoy gusto talagang isabit si Robredo

Why it would be difficult for President Aquino to let go of Rico E. Puno – Inquirer

Lalong lumalala ang relasyon ni Pagulong Aquino at Secretary Jesse Robredo,secretary ng Department of Interior and Local Government.

Nakahanap ng dahilan si Aquino na tanggalin si Robredo at ito ay ang Aug. 23 na trahedya. Inutusan niya ang kanyang legal panel na nagreview ng report ng Incident Investigation and Review Committee IIRC) na kung hindi malibre si DILG Undersecretary Rico E. Puno, kailangang isabit rin si Robredo.

Pinapa-alis na rin daw niya sa listahan ng may pananagutan ang kare-retire lang na Philippine National Police chief na si Jesus Versoza.

Inalis na rin daw sa pinakahuling draft ang rekomendasyun na kakasuhan si Michael Rogas, ang reporter ng RMN na nag-interbyu sa hostage taker na si Rolando Mendoza. Sa rekomendasyun kasi ng IIRC, hindi pinakakasuhan ang mga miyembro ng media. Sinabi lang na dapat tingnan ng Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas at ng organisasyun na nagbabantay sa media ang kanilang pglabag sa Code of Ethics.

A whitewash?

Malaya editorial:

Palace officials said they are “alarmed” over the leak of the withheld portions of the reports of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee but their focus now is on completing a review and submitting their findings to President Aquino when he arrives from the United States tomorrow.

It’s the officials’ necks and Noynoy’s credibility which are on the block so they are free to do as they wish. They should be prepared, however, for some major efforts to contain the firestorm that will sure to erupt when the review assigned to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and chief presidential legal counsel Eduardo de Mesa is finished.

Ochoa and De Mesa have a limited choice: Affirm the findings and recommendations of the committee chaired by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima or trash them. Selective endorsement of the recommendations will not do because if the committee erred in some, then it conceivably was wrong in all its findings.

The issue boils down to what regulations or laws have been violated and whether there is sufficient evidence to nail down the offenders. If the Palace rules substantially against the recommendations of the panel, then it leaves no room for De Lima but to resign.

IIRC recommendations: only Lim cited for criminal sanction

Following are the recommendations of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee that investigated the Aug. 23 hostage tragedy. This was withheld when President Aquino released the fact-finding part of the report. The recommendations are being reviewed by the presidential legal panel headed by Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Eduardo de Mesa.

Recommendations

In light of the preceding discussions on the accountability of the above-mentioned public officials, PNP officers and private individuals based on their corresponding acts and omissions during the August 23, 2010 Rizal Park Hostage-taking crisis, the Committee hereby recommends the following actions:

1. Against PCSUPT (General) Rodolfo Y. Magtibay, the initiation of the corresponding administrative proceedings is recommended based on the following grounds:

a. Serious Irregularities in the Performance of Duties – for countermanding the order of his superior officer, Police Director (General) Leocadio Santiago Jr. to use the PNP SAF-CRG in the assault of the hostaged bus, and in direct opposition to the clear and categorical order of the President to do so as relayed through said superior officer;

b. Gross incompetence – for manifest lack of adequate ability and fitness to satisfactorily perform his police duties as ground commander in the hostage-taking incident as established in this investigation, resulting in the needless and tragic death of eight (8) foreign tourists and the injury of seven (7) others;

Mayor Lim: miserably unrepentant

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim has become a pathetic figure – a far cry from the anti-crime crusading character that earned for him the compliment “Dirty Harry”, the alias of the fictional character of San Francisco policeman, Harold Francis Callahan, played in several films by Clint Eastwood.

IIRC recommended harshest sanction on Lim

In recommending administrative and criminal proceedings, the IIRC held Lim liable for “assuming the authority of the on-scene commander in negotiations and tactical action… for negligence in his failure to organize and constitute the CMC (crisis management committee), for issuing an illegal order the arrest of Gregorio Mendoza, for abandoning and ordering the on-scene commander to abandon the Advance Command Post at the height of the hostage crisis and, in general, for failure to perform his duties as CMC Chairman… constituting dereliction of duty and gross negligence.”

“Dirty Harry” endeared himself to the audience by stomping on the inept bureaucracy, even taking the law in his hands, to give justice to the underprivileged.

Lim became a legend when he cleared known criminal havens of undesirable elements. For that, he was rewarded a political career after he retired from the police service. He was manila mayor from 1992 to 1998 and senator from 2004 to 2007. He returned as Manila mayor in 2007 and got re-elected last May.

One would think that with his long years as local chief executive, Lim would have handled the Aug. 23 hostage incident with competence and wisdom. What we saw was “utak pulbura” at work.

Aquino orders review of IIRC recommendations

The IIRC report:

http://www.gov.ph/2010/09/17/first-report-of-the-iirc-on-the-rizal-park-hostage-taking-incident/ or

http://www.scribd.com/doc/37763943/20100917-IIRC-Report

President Aquino today said he has ordered the review of the recommendations of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) to sanction 12 persons and three networks over the Aug. 23 hostage tragedy.

Statement of the Foreign Ministry of China, Sept. 21, 2010

On 20 September 2010, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has been given by the Philippine IIRC the First Report of the IIRC on the 23 August 2010 Rizal Park Hostage-taking Incident: Sequence of Events, Evaluation and Recommendations. Since it is a long report, the Chinese side does need time for a careful study. The initial reading indicates that the Philippine side takes a sincere and serious manner in handling with and looking into the incident, to which the Chinese side expresses its appreciation.

We hope that the Philippine side continues to handle with the aftermath in an appropriate manner, so as to console the souls of the victims and render comfort to the bereft families and injured Hong Kong compatriots. We also hope that the Philippine side takes effective measures to strengthen protection of the Chinese personnel in the Philippines and prevent the reoccurrence of similar tragedies. The Chinese side stands ready to work with the Philippine side to advance the bilateral relations in a sound and steady manner.

In a press conference, Aquino named the following who were cited by the IIRC for negligence or failure to follow manual:

* Then Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jesus Verzosa;
* Then Manila Police District chief Rodolfo Magtibay, who served as ground commander;
* National Capital Region Police office chief Leocadio Santiago;
* Hostage negotiator Manila Superintendent Orlando Yebra;
* DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno;
* Chief Inspector Santiago Pascual, head of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team;
* Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez;
* Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III;
* TV5’s Erwin Tulfo;
* Radio Mo Nationwide’s (RMN) Michael Rogas;
* Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim
* Manila Vice-Mayor Isko Moreno
* 3 broadcast networks.

Aquino’s statement:

De Lima: 10 officials, cops, media liable

By Nikko Dizon
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima Thursday ruled out friendly fire in the killing of eight Hong Kong tourists but recommended charges against 10 officials, police and media people in the bungled hostage rescue last month.

De Lima did not identify those accountable for the Aug. 23 fiasco or the charges to be leveled against them in the report, which she said was “95 percent” complete. The fact-finding committee will submit its report to President Benigno Aquino III on Friday.

De Lima described the report as “very exhaustive, fact-intensive, and incisive.”