Some were saying that the gruesome ending of the hostage taking in Quirino Grandstand in Manila by a former PNP Capt. Rolando Mendoza was the media’s fault. It was the media’s fault because they wanted scoop. If the media did not show footages of the hostage takers brother being arrested he wouldn’t be agitated to fire his weapons that lead to the deaths of 7 hostages. (Manila tourist bus hostage taking time line)
I beg to disagree, its not the media’s fault but the PNP, MPD SWAT and the operatives fault because they obviously didn’t have any plan on how to get Capt. Mendoza out of the bus and assure safety of the hostages. (National Police Procedures During Hostage Taking Incidents)
The media was there not to get scoop, they were there to keep an eye. They were doing their job. (But of course this international journalism guidelines in covering Hostage-Taking Crises, Prison Uprisings, Terrorist Actions does not apply in the Philippine journalist, not everyone knows this guidelines, seriously)
If not for the media we wouldn’t witness how untrained and incompetent our PNP, SWAT operatives are in situations like this.
Now we know where our authorities fail, why most hostage situations fail because our police enforcer are so inexperienced, untrained, unprepared and unequipped.
Imagine going to the bus without having any ladder, tear gas, flash light, gas mask or anything to protect themselves. Just a mallet to smash the bus windows and doors. What a big joke. What a big fail!
Here was a chance to disable the guy that could have prevented the gruesome ending. What was the plan of the MPD SWAT? I doubt if they have any plans at all. What incompetent people. If the photographer was able to take this nice shot the snipper could have disabled this guys legs!
Mendoza was completely armed when he entered the bus bearing Hong Kong nationals. He know what he was doing. The NPD SWAT was totally clueless.
Even at the end of the situation when the hostage taker was taken down by a snipper and declared dead. There was no crowd control, by standers freely got in the premises. What a shame!
Are our police just trained to control crown during inauguration and State of the Nation Address of the Philippine President? Or our crowd control is as bad as our flood control program. Evidence were already tampered they can say anything they want.
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It’s not the media’s fault. It’s the police who are so incompetent. It was really embarrassing to watch them fumble. Very pathetic.
@Anne read the past comments I already stated my say in that and the media already admitted they were also at fault .