Iloilo media fall 'victim' to fake hostage drama
A sniper positions himself at a roof of a
house across the building where the
hostage drama is happening.
photo by Ronilo Pamonag
Media outlets in Iloilo City fell victim to a big joke Saturday for its blow-by-blow coverage of an ensuing hostage drama in La Paz district which turned out to be just a drill of the newly formed Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team of the Iloilo City Police Office.
Even listeners of radio stations kept glued to the two-hour coverage of the "hostage crisis" happening inside the Inayan Building in Huervana Street.
Bombo Radyo station manager Don Dolido decried the failure of the police to inform the media of the drill as it elicited panic to the public who heard the entire drama over the radio.
"What if somebody who's unaware that it was just a drill fired a shot towards the 'hostage takers'? The drill could have turned into a big problem," uttered one radio announcer as every station threw criticisms to the police after it came out that the hostage drama was just a drill .
"It was conducted to check if indeed they (SWAT team) have absorbed what was taught them. I wanted to see how they responded," City police director, Senior Supt. Wesley Barayuga said of the drill.
"I'm content with the way they responded and handled the situation, but it still needs improvement." He said that some police units responded slowly to the situation.
On a scale of one to 10, Barayuga gave the SWAT personnel a grade of nine. They are about to wrap up their training.
Sr. Insp. Lourdes Banzuelo of the Police Community Relations said only a few top officers of the Iloilo City Police Office knew of Barayuga's plan. Not even the precinct commanders knew of the drill.
Banzuelo said that police officers Joemarie Lamis and Hagmay Dignadice created a commotion in front of a vacant building just a few meters away from the police station at around 9:30 am. They made it appear that they held hostage two persons, fellow police officers Wilfredo Hofileña and Jesse Jim Rubio. A civilian called up the police. Within minutes of the call up, several teams of SWAT personnel consisting of about 30-35 men, responded to the scene.
Some were obviously caught by surprise as they only wore short pants and slippers, aside from their body and head armor.
Negotiations were initiated and the supposed hostage takers, who holed up in the top floors of the seven-storey building, demanded that food and water be brought in.
Two snipers positioned themselves at the roofs of two buildings situated across the street.
Meanwhile, civilian onlookers, unsuspecting that it all just a drill, were kept a few meters away from the building by police. The area in front of the building was kept clear of kibitzers.
Ambulance and a fire truck also responded to the situation.