Things back to normal at Iloilo Capitol
While a mass was ongoing at the driveway, people went in and out of the Capitol building, seemingly unaware of what had happed the day before.
In one corner, a female janitor, broom and dustpan in hand, sweeps pieces of glass the size of pebbles, which used to form the backdoor to the building. Police commandos smashed the glass door to gain entrance into the Capitol Wednesday afternoon to carry out orders to arrest Gov. Niel Tupas and his family, who entrenched themselves at the 3rd floor. The Court of Appeals faxed a copy of the temporary restraining order just in time to stop the police from storming Tupas' office and carry out his dismissal order.
Describing the mood at the Capitol yesterday morning, Tupas said, "This is business as usual. Back to normal."
He said that he is feeling better now, although he emphasized that he has been feeling okay during the stand off at the Capitol. Later, he was to tell Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, who visited the governor yesterday, that he "thought the police was going to force their way in and haul me off."
"The atmosphere is better now," Tupas said. But the inquiry into the incident is just beginning. The Commission on Human Rights and the National Police Commission sent investigators to the Capitol yesterday to take statements and gather evidence.
During a press briefing with Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, Tupas managed to smile, a far cry from his appearance Wednesday noon, during which he was close to crying.
Before the presscon was to begin, local media recounted their experiences.
Among those was by this reporter.
After scaling the steel fence, police commandos lined up in the driveway, near the flagpole. Forming a single line, they then rushed towards the back of the building. This reporter saw something which looked like a pair of sun glasses fall to the ground. Its owner, a member of the Regional Mobile Group, broke the line, went back and picked it up.
At the back of the building, an RMG member shoved aside chairs placed against the door. He then used a sledge hammer to break the glass door. In one mighty sweep, the glass door was shattered.
But another police commando pummeled the adjoining glass doors, but the sledge hammer bounced off. On the second try, he was able to destroy the glass door.
Mark Nunieza, of GMA-Iloilo's Ratsada, was able to take footages of the initial assault with his mobile phone.
After they smashed the glass door of the Capitol, the heavily-armed police commandos entered the building in a single line, one by one.
The assault would have been perfect were it not for one commando who slipped because of the shattered glass.
Fortunately, the gun did not accidentally went off.
Mayor Raul Tupas said that the comical episode was captured on the building's security camera. When the police commando slipped, his sidearm fell to the floor, Tupas described.
Two photojournalists were seen literally staring down the barrel of an assault rifle just to take shots--with their cameras.
When the assaulting team reached third floor, it appeared that they didn't know where Tupas' office was.
Around 300 police personnel from nearby Camp Martin Delgado were deployed in the take over.
About half of them were transported from Camp Delgado to the Capitol using chartered public utility jeepneys.
At about 6:30 pm, Iloilo Rehabilitation Center warden Juan Mabugat escorted the police commandos out of the Capitol building, as the people jeered at them.