EYE OPENER
Stop blaming one another
Filipinos in Metro Manila and other parts of the country should humble themselves and stop blaming one another for the bloody hostage drama inside the tourist bus parked near the Quirino grandstand last week which took the lives of eight Hong Kong tourists and the hostage taker. Maybe President Aquino, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Philippine National Police top brasses may have shortcomings, but let’s rally behind the investigators of the tragedy and give the true report to the Hong Kong authorities to appease the families of the slain hostages. The PNP and other armed authorities should learn their lesson from the failed handling of the tragedy by the so-called “Manila’s Finest.”
It maybe recalled that there were already three incidents that took place in recent weeks – the multi-million peso food fed to the police, the torture of a hold-upper by policemen, and the much-talk of the world today, the bloody hostage-taking in Manila.
Millions of pesos have been spent for police training and why the hostage-taker was not part of the training? Authorities should include other trainings in hijacking of plane and boat and even kidnapping of high government officials and rich businessmen, both local and foreigners. Special Weapons and Tactics operatives are supposed to be experts in handling hostage crisis and yet this group failed its intended purpose last August 23.
Many believe that there should be an overhauling of personnel in all PNP operations that have to do with security and safety, not only of civilians but also of foreign nationals and tourists-visitors. Unless the capability of the police and soldier in any eventuality are answered, many foreign businessmen and visitors will stop patronizing the Philippines, the so-called only Christian nation in Asia. In South Korea, the born-again Christians outnumber the non-Christian inhabitants. There will come a time that the Philippines will no longer claim that she is the only Christian nation in Asia.
The Aquino administration should not only concentrate on fighting graft and corruption but also improve the services of the Armed Forces and the police towards ensuring the safety of its citizens and foreigners.
Where was President Aquino?
It would have been a greater factor in the hostage-taking had President Noynoy Aquino been around at the scenario. Being the commander-in-chief of the PNP, Aquino could have assured the hostage-taker of a fair trial of his case. Aquino would have called the wife of the beleaguered police captain and help talk to her husband. Persuasion was not employed but rather force and display of high-powered weapons were used to scare off the hostage taker.
President Aquino was not aware that Hong Kong tourists were the hostages and not thinking that there are thousands of Overseas Filipino Workers in Hong Kong. Having not intervened in the hostage-taking may be misinterpreted by Hong Kong and Chinese residents in mainland China as an inept head of State.
If Filipinos in Hong Kong were treated like that of the hostage victims in Manila, what would President Aquino feel? More than 50 countries in Asia, the Pacific, Europe and America had viewed the hostage-taking in Manila. Even the secretary of DILG, Manila Mayor Lim and Vice President Jejomar Binay were nowhere to be found. Only Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno negotiated earlier with the Ombudsman the case of Chief Insp. Mendoza but his brother policeman spoiled the negotiation. Had the brother pacified his hostage-taker brother to give in to the arrangement of the Manila vice mayor, the hostage drama could have ended right there and nine lives were spared.
The incident at the hostage-taking in the Quirino grandstand showed that the Manila policemen had no training in hostage-taking incident.
President Aquino has been in office for nearly two months but the hostage-taking was the biggest blackmark in his administration. He should tell the DILG secretary and other Cabinet officials to resign for they seem to be not fitted in their position. Will Noynoy follow the suggestions of many who voted for him in the last elections? We pray that God will help President Aquino in his day-to-day activities.*
