Palace review: No one will be spared

SAN FRANCISCO, California – President Aquino vowed here Sunday that no one would be spared from liability if evidence would indicate that certain individuals, including those from media, were responsible for the bungling of negotiations and rescue operation during the hostage crisis in Manila on Aug. 23.

The President apparently did not welcome being asked about details of the report that he had ordered reviewed.

Mr. Aquino said he wanted Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Eduardo de Mesa to review the recommendations made by the incident investigation and review committee (IIRC) led by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima because there were no specific charges mentioned for those who were deemed liable administratively or criminally.

He said that even members of the media, if found liable, could not be exempted from prosecution.

The President said that after the review, Ochoa and De Mesa might recommend adding or removing some points made by the IIRC.

Mr. Aquino said he would also see whether there were laws penalizing people for having done or not having done something.

The President said the recommendations must be concretized.

Aquino said he must be fair in dealing with everyone who got involved in the fiasco amid reports that the Palace wanted the media people charged even if it was not the recommendation of the IIRC.

“Pare-pareho tayong mamamayan ng Pilipinas. Pare-pareho taong may mga karapatan, pare-pareho tayong may responsibilidad eh di ibabalik ko lang, yung iba may (We are all citizens of the Philippines with the same rights and responsibilities, so I’ll just act on) recommendation sa criminal and civil liabilities yung iba na nagpalala ng sitwasyon slap on the wrist, fair?” Aquino asked.

“Sa kin, you’re gonna correct, you either correct the whole situation (or) if you play favorites, you don’t correct anything. So… what is our goal? Ayokong maulit eh (I don’t want a recurrence),” the President said.

He said those who committed mistakes should pay after they availed of due process.

“I am going home. I tasked two people to study it, will be giving their recommendations why do we have to nitpick at this time when I don’t even have that study that I ordered,” Aquino said.

But he said the media people should have nothing to worry under his administration.

“I don’t think so (but if we talk of) self-regulation. Was there self regulation in the Quirino Grandstand incident? Or was it enough if there was,” Aquino said.

The President noted there was a negotiator trained to do his job but could not contact the hostage taker because someone else was on line.

The IIRC recommended the filing of appropriate charges against 12 people led by Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno, retired Philippine National Police chief Jesus Verzosa, National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Leocadio Santiago, Manila Police District director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay, chief negotiator Superintendent Orlando Yebra Jr., and Chief Inspector Santiago Pascual, head of the MPD Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit.

Also included were Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzales, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Vice Mayor Isko Moreno.

The panel also recommended the filing of charges against broadcasters Erwin Tulfo and Mike Rogas of RMN/DZXL.

The IIRC also found liable the executives of the country’s three biggest television networks ABS-CBN Channel 2, GMA-7 and ABC TV-5.

The Manila police chief had earlier went on leave while five other police officers were relieved because of their hesitation and lapses during the assault on the tourist bus where dismissed policeman Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza held the Hong Kong tourists hostage.

Mendoza, who was dismissed from the police force last year for extortion, commandeered last Aug. 23 a Hong Thai Travel tourist bus in Intramuros and held hostage 21 Hong Kong tourists and four Filipino guides for several hours in front of the Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park.

The suspect, armed with an M16 rifle and a pistol, had released several hostages before the SWAT team assaulted the bus resulting in the death of the hostage taker and eight tourists.

Police hostage negotiators said Mendoza turned violent due to frustrations after failing to get his demand to be reinstated to the police force.

Mendoza also started shooting the hostages when he saw through the television on board the bus, the live footage of his brother Senior Police Officer 2 Gregorio Mendoza being arrested.

Gregorio was accosted for failing to help in the negotiation.

Manila officials support Lim

Manila City Hall employees, barangay officials, and elected local officials protested what they described as a “malicious and unfounded” report of the IIRC that recommended the inclusion of Mayor Lim and Vice Mayor Moreno in the list of persons who should be charged in connection with the Aug. 23 hostage crisis.

In a statement, the Manila City Hall said the protesting employees and city officials led by the councilors and congressmen wore black shirts, arm bands or pins while barangay officials and private entities raised banners and streamers calling on President Aquino to junk the IIRC report.

On behalf of Lim who was then attending a meeting, chief of staff and media bureau chief Ric de Guzman thanked the public for their support and pointed out at least two reasons why Lim and Moreno should not be included in the list the IIRC recommended for prosecution.

De Guzman said that assistant hostage negotiator Chief Inspector Romeo Salvador claimed that the hostage taker Mendoza had promised to release all the hostages as soon as he gets his reinstatement to the police service.

De Guzman said Mendoza’s intention to release the hostages in exchange for a reinstatement order was not relayed to Mayor Lim.

“Hindi ito nakarating kay Mayor Lim dahil kung nalaman niya ito, kahit sampung reinstatement ay maari sanang naipadala kay Mendoza. Ang kaso, walang nagparating kay Mayor,” he said.

De Guzman said the order of NCRPO Director Santiago to Superintendent Remus Medina, chief of the Regional Police Intelligence Operations Unit, to deploy the police Special Action Force (SAF) to conduct the assault on the tourist bus was not followed.

De Guzman said the situation was already out of the hands of Lim.

Lawyer Analyn Buan, head of the barangay bureau, thanked the barangay officials who came to the flag ceremony to present their respective barangay resolutions in support of Lim and Moreno.

Hundreds of resolutions that expressed dismay over the IIRC report have been sent to the office of Buan.

Lim earlier branded as a “shotgun blast” the IIRC report, which included him and Moreno in the list of persons recommended for prosecution.

“Clearly, the IIRC report is a shotgun blast report. Lahat ng nandun ay tinamaan. Parang to whom it may concerned na lang,” Lim said.

Lim said he was surprised why he was included in the officials found liable, but Mendoza’s brother Gregorio was not included.

SPO2 Mendoza was supposed to help convince his brother to surrender but instead he even provoked his brother telling the hostage taker not to surrender until his (Gregorio’s) firearm was returned to him.

Police negotiators had confiscated Gregorio’s service pistol to prevent any armed element from joining the negotiations.

Aurea Calica, Philippine Star