HIGH DRAMA IN MANILA
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MANILA - A former senior Filipino police inspector, who lost his job last year, took a busload of 22 Hong Kong tourists hostage yesterday, setting off a dramatic day-long standoff that ended in bloodshed after police commandos stormed the bus.
At least seven hostages were killed and one was critically wounded. Several were shown on television crawling out of the bus after police assault teams moved in. Nine hostages were released earlier in the standoff, including three children and a diabetic.
The drama began at 10am when the former police officer, armed with an M16 rifle, boarded a Hong Thai Travel tour bus and took the tourists hostage. The drama ended with the former police officer, slumped lifeless by the main door of the bus (picture). He was identified in television reports as Rolando Mendoza, 55. The police said he was killed by a sniper shot to the head. Philippine police said later that they had stormed the bus after they saw Mendoza open fire.
Live video from the scene showed police commandos, surrounding the bus, smashing windows in with sledgehammers and opening an emergency exit. The police stormed the bus moments after the driver managed to escape by cutting himself loose. The driver jumped through a window, and ran from the bus screaming, "Everybody is dead!" to a group of journalists clustered at the scene.
For hours, live broadcasts indicated no movement inside the bus, except when three shots were fired through the windshield. The presence of cameras appeared to play a role in how the standoff unfolded.
The chief of the Manila Police District, Mr Rodolfo Magtibay, said that Mendoza had demanded the return of his job and benefits. Mendoza was honoured in 1986 as one of the top 10 officers in the country. However, he was dismissed last year after accusations of extortion.
Throughout the day, Mendoza wrote his demands on cardboard, which he would then paste on the windshield of the bus.
One of the messages read: "Big mistake to correct a big wrong decision."
Late in the afternoon, he posted a message saying: "Media now," telling journalists to come to him. But the police prevented reporters from getting near the bus.
The situation seemed to escalate after the gunman's brother, Gregorio Mendoza, who is also a police officer, complained to reporters at the scene.
He also accused the police of trying to kill him. In front of the cameras, officer Gregorio was shoved into a police car, his relatives wailing behind him.
Shots were heard soon after the gunman's brother was taken into custody, raising the possibility that those on the bus were watching the crisis play out on television monitors inside.
The Hong Kong government arranged for a flight to Manila yesterday for relatives of the hostages. Hong Kong issued its top-level black travel alert for the Philippines yesterday saying "Hong Kong residents should avoid all travel to the country". The Philippines attracted only 2.7 million tourists last year.
--TODAYonline News Alert for August 24, 2010 (Text Version)
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Click Timeline: Manila bus hijack drama
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MANILA - A former senior Filipino police inspector, who lost his job last year, took a busload of 22 Hong Kong tourists hostage yesterday, setting off a dramatic day-long standoff that ended in bloodshed after police commandos stormed the bus.
At least seven hostages were killed and one was critically wounded. Several were shown on television crawling out of the bus after police assault teams moved in. Nine hostages were released earlier in the standoff, including three children and a diabetic.
The drama began at 10am when the former police officer, armed with an M16 rifle, boarded a Hong Thai Travel tour bus and took the tourists hostage. The drama ended with the former police officer, slumped lifeless by the main door of the bus (picture). He was identified in television reports as Rolando Mendoza, 55. The police said he was killed by a sniper shot to the head. Philippine police said later that they had stormed the bus after they saw Mendoza open fire.
Live video from the scene showed police commandos, surrounding the bus, smashing windows in with sledgehammers and opening an emergency exit. The police stormed the bus moments after the driver managed to escape by cutting himself loose. The driver jumped through a window, and ran from the bus screaming, "Everybody is dead!" to a group of journalists clustered at the scene.
For hours, live broadcasts indicated no movement inside the bus, except when three shots were fired through the windshield. The presence of cameras appeared to play a role in how the standoff unfolded.
The chief of the Manila Police District, Mr Rodolfo Magtibay, said that Mendoza had demanded the return of his job and benefits. Mendoza was honoured in 1986 as one of the top 10 officers in the country. However, he was dismissed last year after accusations of extortion.
Throughout the day, Mendoza wrote his demands on cardboard, which he would then paste on the windshield of the bus.
One of the messages read: "Big mistake to correct a big wrong decision."
Late in the afternoon, he posted a message saying: "Media now," telling journalists to come to him. But the police prevented reporters from getting near the bus.
The situation seemed to escalate after the gunman's brother, Gregorio Mendoza, who is also a police officer, complained to reporters at the scene.
He also accused the police of trying to kill him. In front of the cameras, officer Gregorio was shoved into a police car, his relatives wailing behind him.
Shots were heard soon after the gunman's brother was taken into custody, raising the possibility that those on the bus were watching the crisis play out on television monitors inside.
The Hong Kong government arranged for a flight to Manila yesterday for relatives of the hostages. Hong Kong issued its top-level black travel alert for the Philippines yesterday saying "Hong Kong residents should avoid all travel to the country". The Philippines attracted only 2.7 million tourists last year.
--TODAYonline News Alert for August 24, 2010 (Text Version)
Or...
Click Timeline: Manila bus hijack drama
Scary...
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