The Aftermath of Manila's Botched Hostage Crisis

The Aftermath of Manila's Botched Hostage Crisis
By Emily Rauhala / Manila    Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010
 
Ted Aljibe / AFP / Getty Images

http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2013609,00.html

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Then, an ex-police inspector stepped on to a tourist bus with an M16 rifle.

At 10:00 a.m. on Monday morning, Rolando D. Mendoza commandeered a bus carrying Hong Kong tourists in downtown Manila. Mendoza was reportedly furious about his dismissal on corruption charges and demanded redress, at gunpoint. As the standoff progressed, television crews swarmed the scene and Manileños gathered in restaurants and shops to follow live footage. Many were still watching, hours later, when shots rang out, SWAT teams moved in and gunfire swallowed the vehicle. Mendoza killed eight people before the police managed to shoot him dead. Another victim later died in a hospital.

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Hong Kong, for one, is outraged. "Fury in HK Over Manila Bloodbath," read a headline in the city's English-language daily, the South China Morning Post. The city, a semi-autonomous sliver of southern China, issued a travel warning and urged its residents to leave the the Philippines at once. Donald Tsang, the territory's chief executive, spoke with unusual candor on the matter: "The way it was handled — particularly the outcome — was very disappointing," he said. The Philippine consulate, meanwhile, was swamped by protesters bearing placards and petitions. Online, the tone was vicious: "SWAT = Sorry We Aren't Trained," was a common refrain.

In addition to Hong Kong and China, several other governments have issued travel warnings for the Philippines. And, though there has been no threat of trade sanctions, some businesses are bracing for a backlash. "I'm just waiting for it," said Joseph Rubio, a Filipino who does business in China. Aquino, the optimist, urged calm. "We should not just give up because of this one incident," he said.

Manila — and, indeed the country — is now engaged in a high-stakes blame game centered, primarily, on the police, the press and the President himself. The only consensus, so far, is that security forces botched the rescue. Gunshots were heard at 6:40 p.m. on Monday, but the SWAT team did not storm the bus until after 7:30 p.m. "How could it take them so long?" asked Mike Santos, 50, a customs broker. So far, four members of the SWAT team have been sacked and the head of Manila's police department is on voluntary leave pending an investigation.

The media have come in for blame as well. Footage from the standoff may have helped the gunman figure out what the police and the hostage negotiators were up to: he was reportedly watching himself and the would-be rescuers on the bus's onboard TV. He then supposedly started firing when he saw his brother being escorted from the scene. In light of the criticism, President Aquino said he may consider new "limitations" on the media. His office admitted, too, that there were "defects" in the handling of the crisis. These concessions, though, did not earn him absolution. He's been roundly criticized, at home and abroad, for his lack of visibility during the crisis.