Noy on hostage tragedy: Unfair to blame 95M Pinoys
By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) Updated August 24, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (95)
Relatives of the victims of the Aug. 23, 2010 hostage tragedy and some of the survivors offer prayers at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila yesterday. JONJON VICENCIO | Zoom
MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino clarified yesterday that while the Philippine government regrets the death of eight Hong Kong tourists in the August 2010 hostage-taking incident, its citizens should try to be fair because nobody wanted it to happen in the first place.
“Giving an apology connotes that the state did them grievous harm. I don’t think that is correct. This was the act of one man. In the same token that some of our citizens have been affected elsewhere in the world, we do not blame the entire population,” he said.
Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the hostage-taking incident in Manila perpetrated by a dismissed policeman and disastrously managed by authorities, resulting in a bungled rescue operation that resulted in the death of eight tourists and the hostage-taker.
The President cited the massacre last month in Norway, where some 80 people were killed by a “deranged gunman,” who bares close resemblance to the lone hostage-taker in Luneta, a bemedalled policeman who was expelled due to alleged extortion.
“We know that there are criminal elements, there are mentally deranged individuals that pose a threat to anybody regardless of race or country of origin,” he told reporters at Pier 13, where he was guest of honor at the arrival rites of BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15).
“In the same token that in Norway there was this tragedy that could have been prevented because of a solitary, deranged gunman,” Aquino pointed out, implying that it was something beyond their control.
“So can we really be faulted? There was such a rapid turn of events that I don’t think any force anywhere in the world (could have prevented it),” he added.
Hong Kong authorities have been also aware that “all of the victims had been shot even before our forces moved against them.”
But he said this is not to say that the Philippine government is not sorry for the tragedy.
“We sympathize and we continue to sympathize with them. We really wish it did not happen. We hope we had performed better at that point in time,” Aquino said.
The President expressed hope that the families of the victims could move on, since it has been a year since the tragedy occurred.
“We understand they’re hurt, but hopefully they understand also that we could have improved and we have been improving from then to now.”
He said the families of the victims are aware of the fact that both public and private concerns from “this country have really tried to assist them in their moving on.”
“Even at our levels right now, if you have a deranged individual who suddenly changes disposition practically knowing there are very serious limitations as to what one person or any country can do. But, again, we deeply regret what has transpired,” Aquino repeated.
Robredo and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Raul Bacalzo led police personnel in the Mass that was held at the St. Joseph Chapel inside Camp Crame that was officiated by Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak.
The DILG secretary said the government has done a lot, including putting up solidarity funds for the victims, although he pointed out that there was no price tag for the lives of those who perished.
“If you ask me, an apology coming from us is mere words. The more important dimension of the incident is that we are taking actions,” Robredo said.
De Lima, on the other hand, said President Aquino did not answer the demands for criminal suits and damages made by survivors and families of the victims.
In an ambush interview, the DOJ chief said she immediately relayed to the President what she called requests – not demands – in a meeting at the Palace on Monday afternoon following her closed-door meeting with the survivors and families.
She said she believes the President is carefully considering the matter before making a decision since the requests were “serious” and would “need careful consideration.”
“No comments yet from the President so I think he will also wait for my recommendation and written report (on the meeting),” she explained.
De Lima said she would submit her recommendation to the President next week.
On Monday, a delegation composed of a survivor, a lawyer for two survivors, relatives of a victim and a Hong Kong legislator publicly expressed their disappointment over what they perceive to be insufficient actions taken by the government in response to the incident.
They demanded financial compensation without the usual tedious and expensive process and asked the government to criminally prosecute officials and authorities involved in the bungled rescue operation.
The relatives of the victims also sought a formal apology from the government and visited the site of the incident in the Luneta.
Tse Chi Hang, brother of Tse Ting-Chun Masa, who was the tour guide of the ill-fated tourist bus, said the government officials who met them expressed sorrow for the incident, but what they wanted is a formal apology from the Philippine government.
“What we are asking for is to ask the Philippine government to be accountable for the whole incident because they have made many silly mistakes and many decisions during the whole incident. Someone has to come out to take responsibility on this, and someone has to compensate all those injured and all those hurt by the whole incident,” he stressed.
Napolcom vice chairman and executive officer Eduardo Escueta said 13 separate hearings have so far been conducted for the cases filed against Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay, then director of the Manila Police District (MPD); Superintendent Orlando Yebra, the hostage negotiator; Chief Inspector Santiago Pascual, MPD Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit commander; and Senior Police Officer 2 Gregorio Mendoza, brother of hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza.
Magtibay has been charged with serious neglect of duty and gross incompetence; Yebra with serious neglect of duty, serious irregularity in the performance of duty and gross incompetence; Pascual with gross incompetence; and Mendoza with grave misconduct and serious neglect of duty.
The case of another accused officer, Director Leocadio Santiago, then chief of the National Capital Region Police Office during the hostage taking, has already been resolved after he served an 11-day suspension from March 4 to 14. Santiago was slapped with less grave neglect of duty.
Escueta said that in the case of Magtibay, the prosecution will still make a formal offer of evidence that will be followed by the respondent’s presentation of his evidence.
He said the speed by which Napolcom will resolve all the cases filed against the respondents will depend on their respective lawyers and on the number of witnesses they will present.
Escueta admits that the process could have been faster if the parties in the cases – the respondents and the prosecution – had agreed to undergo a summary dismissal proceeding which only involves the submission of sworn statements and position papers. – With Edu Punay, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Mike Frialde, Sandy Araneta
MY REACTION:
I am certainly into the government for there actions regarding this issue. I personaly
believe that the goverment should not apologize or a hostage tragedy that happened a year ago and
was done by one psycho or problematic person. It was a felony of one and not the whole filipino
race. Apologizing is like dragging the whole filipino community that we were part of the crime which
is logicaly not true.
For Honkong, they lost 8 of there people, so is that the reason why they want every
filipino to embrace that burden..?i dont think thats reasonable.
Its as if we all know the plan of hostaging and killing those tourist.
I think that our country had paid more than enough not only to the victims but also to thre
country. After that incident, news had spread about our fellow filipinos working on honkong was
maltreated, others lost there jobs and almost every filipino was descriminated.
Even our economy was affected after that hostage drama. A sudden decrease of tourist
coming in the Philippines because a lot of country posted a travel ban for the Philippines indicating
that it is not safe to travel in the Philippines. And I believe that even the importing and exporting of
goods and services was also affected.
I will continue to stand for what I believe in. Our government should not apologize. We have
paid more than enough. apologizing is too much for us to give them. We did our part. Now its
time for them to do threirs...that is to move on and learn to accept and forgive.
“Giving an apology connotes that the state did them grievous harm. I don’t think that is correct. This was the act of one man. In the same token that some of our citizens have been affected elsewhere in the world, we do not blame the entire population,” he said.
Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the hostage-taking incident in Manila perpetrated by a dismissed policeman and disastrously managed by authorities, resulting in a bungled rescue operation that resulted in the death of eight tourists and the hostage-taker.
The President cited the massacre last month in Norway, where some 80 people were killed by a “deranged gunman,” who bares close resemblance to the lone hostage-taker in Luneta, a bemedalled policeman who was expelled due to alleged extortion.
“We know that there are criminal elements, there are mentally deranged individuals that pose a threat to anybody regardless of race or country of origin,” he told reporters at Pier 13, where he was guest of honor at the arrival rites of BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15).
“In the same token that in Norway there was this tragedy that could have been prevented because of a solitary, deranged gunman,” Aquino pointed out, implying that it was something beyond their control.
“So can we really be faulted? There was such a rapid turn of events that I don’t think any force anywhere in the world (could have prevented it),” he added.
Hong Kong authorities have been also aware that “all of the victims had been shot even before our forces moved against them.”
But he said this is not to say that the Philippine government is not sorry for the tragedy.
“We sympathize and we continue to sympathize with them. We really wish it did not happen. We hope we had performed better at that point in time,” Aquino said.
The President expressed hope that the families of the victims could move on, since it has been a year since the tragedy occurred.
“We understand they’re hurt, but hopefully they understand also that we could have improved and we have been improving from then to now.”
He said the families of the victims are aware of the fact that both public and private concerns from “this country have really tried to assist them in their moving on.”
“Even at our levels right now, if you have a deranged individual who suddenly changes disposition practically knowing there are very serious limitations as to what one person or any country can do. But, again, we deeply regret what has transpired,” Aquino repeated.
Solidarity Mass
The President did not attend a mass commemorating the first anniversary of the bungled hostage crisis held yesterday, but Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo were present.Robredo and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Raul Bacalzo led police personnel in the Mass that was held at the St. Joseph Chapel inside Camp Crame that was officiated by Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak.
The DILG secretary said the government has done a lot, including putting up solidarity funds for the victims, although he pointed out that there was no price tag for the lives of those who perished.
“If you ask me, an apology coming from us is mere words. The more important dimension of the incident is that we are taking actions,” Robredo said.
De Lima, on the other hand, said President Aquino did not answer the demands for criminal suits and damages made by survivors and families of the victims.
In an ambush interview, the DOJ chief said she immediately relayed to the President what she called requests – not demands – in a meeting at the Palace on Monday afternoon following her closed-door meeting with the survivors and families.
She said she believes the President is carefully considering the matter before making a decision since the requests were “serious” and would “need careful consideration.”
“No comments yet from the President so I think he will also wait for my recommendation and written report (on the meeting),” she explained.
De Lima said she would submit her recommendation to the President next week.
On Monday, a delegation composed of a survivor, a lawyer for two survivors, relatives of a victim and a Hong Kong legislator publicly expressed their disappointment over what they perceive to be insufficient actions taken by the government in response to the incident.
They demanded financial compensation without the usual tedious and expensive process and asked the government to criminally prosecute officials and authorities involved in the bungled rescue operation.
The relatives of the victims also sought a formal apology from the government and visited the site of the incident in the Luneta.
Tse Chi Hang, brother of Tse Ting-Chun Masa, who was the tour guide of the ill-fated tourist bus, said the government officials who met them expressed sorrow for the incident, but what they wanted is a formal apology from the Philippine government.
“What we are asking for is to ask the Philippine government to be accountable for the whole incident because they have made many silly mistakes and many decisions during the whole incident. Someone has to come out to take responsibility on this, and someone has to compensate all those injured and all those hurt by the whole incident,” he stressed.
Justice crawls irritatingly slow
But while the one-year anniversary brings back bitter memories, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) has yet to rule on the administrative cases slapped against four of five accused police officers.Napolcom vice chairman and executive officer Eduardo Escueta said 13 separate hearings have so far been conducted for the cases filed against Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay, then director of the Manila Police District (MPD); Superintendent Orlando Yebra, the hostage negotiator; Chief Inspector Santiago Pascual, MPD Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit commander; and Senior Police Officer 2 Gregorio Mendoza, brother of hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza.
Magtibay has been charged with serious neglect of duty and gross incompetence; Yebra with serious neglect of duty, serious irregularity in the performance of duty and gross incompetence; Pascual with gross incompetence; and Mendoza with grave misconduct and serious neglect of duty.
The case of another accused officer, Director Leocadio Santiago, then chief of the National Capital Region Police Office during the hostage taking, has already been resolved after he served an 11-day suspension from March 4 to 14. Santiago was slapped with less grave neglect of duty.
Escueta said that in the case of Magtibay, the prosecution will still make a formal offer of evidence that will be followed by the respondent’s presentation of his evidence.
He said the speed by which Napolcom will resolve all the cases filed against the respondents will depend on their respective lawyers and on the number of witnesses they will present.
Escueta admits that the process could have been faster if the parties in the cases – the respondents and the prosecution – had agreed to undergo a summary dismissal proceeding which only involves the submission of sworn statements and position papers. – With Edu Punay, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Mike Frialde, Sandy Araneta
MY REACTION:
I am certainly into the government for there actions regarding this issue. I personaly
believe that the goverment should not apologize or a hostage tragedy that happened a year ago and
was done by one psycho or problematic person. It was a felony of one and not the whole filipino
race. Apologizing is like dragging the whole filipino community that we were part of the crime which
is logicaly not true.
For Honkong, they lost 8 of there people, so is that the reason why they want every
filipino to embrace that burden..?i dont think thats reasonable.
Its as if we all know the plan of hostaging and killing those tourist.
I think that our country had paid more than enough not only to the victims but also to thre
country. After that incident, news had spread about our fellow filipinos working on honkong was
maltreated, others lost there jobs and almost every filipino was descriminated.
Even our economy was affected after that hostage drama. A sudden decrease of tourist
coming in the Philippines because a lot of country posted a travel ban for the Philippines indicating
that it is not safe to travel in the Philippines. And I believe that even the importing and exporting of
goods and services was also affected.
I will continue to stand for what I believe in. Our government should not apologize. We have
paid more than enough. apologizing is too much for us to give them. We did our part. Now its
time for them to do threirs...that is to move on and learn to accept and forgive.
