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Tag: Luneta hostage-taking

Accountability in the Aug 23 hostage tragedy

If only the deputy ombudsman did his job honestly
The order of the Office of the President to dismiss Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez from the service for “gross neglect of duty, gross inefficiency and misconduct in office (that) amounted to a betrayal of the public trust reposed in him” in connection with the case of former Manila Police District Police Senior Inspector (Captain) Rolando del Rosario Mendoza gave credence to the latter’s claim that he was a victim of injustice.

Of course, no one condones how Mendoza demanded justice which was to hijack a tourist bus full of Hong Kong nationals on a holiday visit. At the end of a 10-hour crisis that showed bungling by authorities, eight of the Hong Kong nationals were killed.

The actions of President Aquino during and after the grim incident had set a chain of diplomatic bunglings that have lasting effect on relations with China.

Deputy Ombudsman dismissed over Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking incident

Update: The office of the Ombudsman is defying the President’s order and said it will not implement the dismissal of Gonzales because they have conducted their internal investigation and have cleared Gonzalez of any wrong doing.

Here’s the 15-page decision from the Office of the Executive Secretary: OP decision on Gonzalez

This is a press release from the Office of Executive Secretary Paquito “Jojo” Ochoa , who headed the panel that reviewed the recommendation of the Investigation and Review Committee headed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima that headed the investigation of the Aug. 23 tragedy.

We hope Gonzalez is just the first of those that will be hold accountable for the fiasco that cost the lives of 8 Hongkong nationals and a series of blunders in the country’s relations with China.We are waiting what the government will do with Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno and former PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa. They too were negligent of their duties.

Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III has been dismissed by the Office of the President (OP) for gross neglect of duty and gross misconduct in handling the dismissal complaint against hostage-taker former P/Sr. Insp. Rolando Mendoza, on recommendation of Palace lawyers who reviewed the findings of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC).

Why a Joint AFP-PNP Elite Security Force would fail

by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV

Yesterday, at a press conference, Pres. Aquino announced his plan to create a security force similar to the British SAS composed of around 200 to 400 police and military personnel to be deployed during crisis situations. This was a policy response to the Aug. 23 Hostage Crisis that led to the death of 8 Hong Kong tourists. On its face, such creation seems responsive to the crisis capability issues of our security forces that were brought to light by the Aug. 23 incident. However, upon close scrutiny, there may be some underlying problems that may hinder its success in the future.

1. Unity of Command – The basic question is, who shall head this composite elite force: a PNP or AFP officer? Or would it be a set-up where both a PNP and AFP officer would be designated as “co-commanders” to accommodate the egos of these two institutions? In either case, we can see potential power struggles within such a composite unit. If there would be a single commander, cohesion would be a major problem because the reality on the ground is, AFP personnel don’t take it too well to be ordered around by a PNP officer and vice versa. There are vast differences in culture and training that cannot suddenly be expected to disappear just because they now belong to a common unit.

In the case of a “co-commandership” set-up similar to what PNoy did to the DILG and his Communications Group, professional rivalry would set in and the power struggle for authority, resources, training and even credit would even be more pronounced.

Versoza’s DILG chief dream dashed?

Versoza
Despite the Euro-generals scandal at the beginning of his term as chief of the Philippine National Police two years ago, Police Chief Jesus Versoza has been lucky and even re-invented himself from a Mike Arroyo man to Noynoy Aquino ally in the last May election.

Aquino confirms VERA Files story that he had differences with Robredo.

“There are various reasons kung bakit acting. In the case of Jesse, we had some differences during the campaign as to style. We want to make sure we can really work with each other well. It does no good to get him through the whole process of the CA only at the end of the day to find out that there might be difficulties in our working style, among others, our core philosophy, so we did agree na acting na muna,” Aquino said.

“May evaluation period, siguro check ang working style, after two months sigurado na tayo, we still have certain things discussed,” he added. “Dadalawang buwan pa lang kami nagkakasubukan kung talaga nga bang kaya naming mag-mesh.”

Click here: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/09/07/10/aquino-admits-differences-robredo

Talk in the power circles even said Versoza was slated to be the next secretary of interior and local government after Jesse Robredo has been eased out of the politically strategic department. That’s the reason why as early as last month he was sharing to media his thoughts about going to civilian life earlier than his December official retirement date.

Sablay

Kahit na dalawang linggo na nakalipas ang trahedya sa Luneta, nakakapanghilakbot pa rin ang maririnig ang pinaka-kritikal na mga minuto kung saan nagwawala na ang hostage-taker na si dating Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza.

Pinatugtug kahapon sa hearing ng committee na nagi-imbestiga ng trahedya noong Agosto 23 ang mga huling minute ng trahedya sa testimonya nina Jake Maderazo, manager ng Radio Mindanao Network at ng kanilang reporter na si Michael Rogas.

Sana hindi na mangyayari ito ulit. Ang bigat sa dibdib at sa pag-iisip. Mabigat sa ating bayan.

Kung sabagay, kailangan siguro natin ito para mayugyug tayo, lalo pa ang ating mga opisyal, lalo pa si Pangulong Aquino na ayusin nila ang pagpalakad ng bayan.

Robredo to P-Noy: “Thanks for clarification”; Coloma defends Puno

Statement of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo:


Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo today expressed his gratitude to President Benigno S. Aquino, III for absolving him of accountability on the botched police negotiations during the August 23 Manila hostage crisis.

“I appreciate the President’s clarification of my role as the one primarily in charge of local governments, rather than the police,” said Robredo. “My mandate was clear from the very start and since the directive of the President is such, we will have to comply by it,” added Robredo and further debunking a radio report today that said Robredo merely wanted local governments.

Earlier, the President defended the DILG Secretary from statements that he should not be part of the investigating team on the hostage tragedy because of his lapses as DILG chief.

Aquino said it was Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno whom he designated in charge of the police because he wanted Robredo to concentrate on the concerns of local government units.

Natuto ba tayo?

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

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

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.