The entire nation and the rest of the world have witnessed many negative things about our country during the 12-hour hostage crisis instigated by a dismissed Police officer, Rolando Mendoza, on August 23, 2010 at the heart of Manila. The aftermath: 8 tourists from Hong Kong dead, many injured with some still being reported as unaccounted for.
It has put the Philippine Government in a shameful situation all over the world. Hong Kong has already advised its people not to visit the Philippines; now perceived as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for tourists.
We all knew and what occurred in view of the fact that we have our television sets, radios and computers which are the mediums of current events broadcasting. We took part of the episode because of the information relayed to us by the media people.
The populace is having their eyes laid on the media. Much of the criticism surrounding the management of the Manila hostage crisis that ended in deaths is submitted to the intrusive coverage of the event by the Philippine Media. Had the hostage-taker, ex-police officer, who had access to a TV set installed in the besieged bus, not been kept abreast of police personnel movements and not witnessed the demonstration of his brother being manhandled by police officers — both transpiring in front of TV cameras — many observers think the incident could have ended differently.
But according to Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (“League of Philippine Broadcasters” — KBP, in short) National President Herman Basbaño, “The problem is not the media coverage, but the mismanagement of the crisis. From the start, there was already a problem in controlling the crowd, including the members of the media. The work of the media is to cover everything it sees and hears.”
It can be justified with what Gene Fowler once said, “News is history shot on the wing. The huntsmen from the Fourth Estate seek to bag only the peacock or the eagle of the swifting day.”
We can say that media’s coverage of the incident showed how their yearning for exclusivity and ratings could be as dangerous as the Philippine National Police’s shortcoming in terms of training, equipment and tactics. It was a big contributing factor that led to the incident ending in a bloodbath.
We can recall the way they went aggressive on the relatives of the hostage taker while being hustled by the police. They repetitively ignored the request of the police to turn off their lights pointed at the bus which aided the assault team in having difficulties in seeing the site. Undoubtedly, they were also helping the hostage taker in reading its movements. Sure the incident was a headline maker, but giving the public a blow-by-blow coverage was far less important at that time. The safety of the hostage’s lives was dependent on how well the police operations will be executed.
The Police force also received negative feedbacks. Dramatically incompetent, the cops have been noted for failing in some basic things. First, they didn’t establish a working cordon that would have secluded the crime scene and quite possibly have prevented injury to that bystander who got hit by a stray bullet.
Second, they didn’t take advantage of the hours and hours of waiting to set up the ideal operational character of their forces. They had snipers but the snipers were flatfooted on the ground when they should have been taking aim at all windows just in case; and
Third, they weren’t able to control the media which allowed the hostage taker to observe everything they were doing.
One could have listed more things that the cops did wrong, but I think the point has been fully made. The police were simply incompetent at that point in time.
On live TV, we saw how the PNP units who handled the hostage-taking incident were inefficient in finding ways to resolve the crisis effectively and with minimal casualties as possible. From the police officers who took command down to the assault teams, all three, who stormed the bus it’s crystal clear that the PNP needs a complete rehabilitation.
From all these, I could only notice and construe one thing; if the PNP is good at something it is the brutal dispersal of protest marches and the harassment of demonstrators, it is surely a far cry from their official motto: “We Serve and Protect“.
Aside from the security forces, the highest-ranked officer of the land was also in the spotlight. In the minds of the people, they were asking “Where was President Benigno Aquino III during the 12-hour hostage crisis in Manila last Monday?”
The President made clear that he was monitoring the hostage drama from the Palace but left the matter to concerned police authorities for them to effectively handle. Appearing in a press conference aired on August 24, 2010 in Malacañang, he also claimed that it would not do good if he interfered with the work of the ground commander to secure the captives.
Aquino was noticed as nowhere in sight while the hostage drama was happening. He only appeared in public three hours after the crisis was over, apologizing to the Hong Kong government for the casualties and expressing condolences to the families of the victims. Afterwards, he went to the Quirino Grandstand, the scene of the incident, early Tuesday morning, day after the incident and inspected the bus.
After all these, the President is now in front of a number of criticisms mostly negative ones. His online accounts which his media communications team maintained as clean as possible has now lost its order because of the harsh comments people are throwing him left and right.
In the final analysis, the police, the police leadership – all the way to the President – and the media must bear part of the responsibility for what took place.
And how about Mr. Mendoza? Yes. He holds the hardest liability – he’s the one who put people in harm’s way to begin with. But then again, he’s dead. His problems are over since he has certainly brought those with him beyond earth.
Of course, we cannot give him all the blame now since he is gone already. And in the attempt of pointing our fingers to the policemen, president of the country and even to the media is not a good idea. No one is to blame. No one deserves to be blamed.
What is done is done. In as much as we still have the same police, we are still under the starting administration of PNoy, and we’re still confined to the same media, our problems have barely just begun. We need to face the world with the controversies and responsibilities the hostage drama left. Blaming cannot solve the problem that has come to pass rather helping hand in hand with utmost clean intentions does.
As one of the persons who aspire to be part of the extreme world of media, I can still stay convince with the vision and mission the media clings to. Apart form the splendid slogans different broadcasting networks in the Philippines which are speaking of truth, objectivity and service to the Filipino nation, I can feel the sincerity within.
One instance just like the hostage taking is not sufficient to stereo-type them. Indeed they may have fall short and aggravated the incident. But it does not mean that we can just neglect the positive side To be part of the Fourth Estate is exceptional and I cannot take it for granted even if it takes to be ensnared within the four corners of an Ill-fated soil. Lesson learned, the media ought to mull over Aristotle’s Golden mean and apply it to stay on a safer ground.
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