The media, the major-major mistake, and the minor-minor detail

After the "Major Major" answer of Miss Philippines Maria Venus Raj in the Miss Universe beauty pageant held yesterday, the Philippine National Police also had their reply to the disaster on the Manila Hostage crisis last Monday. Their response: They may have committed mistakes but the media overdid their live reporting of the situation.

Seeing his brother arrested live in television, hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza was outraged leading him to kill some of his hostages. As the survivor, Mrs. Leung, said: [The gunman] did not want to kill us. He only shot us after the negotiation failed.

Neophyte Congressman Gabriel Luis Quisumbing of Cebu shared the sentiments of the PNP to the point that he filed House Bill No. 2737 stating that “media coverage should be contained as not to hinder or obstruct efforts to resolve the situation.” Situations, according to him, may include hostage taking, bomb threats, coup d’ etat, and kidnapping.

Pero teka. Wala namang ico-cover ang media kung wala namang news. Kung hindi naman ganun ang klase ng pag-aresto sa kapatid ng hostage-taker, di naman siguro yung maco-cover.

Ikalawa, tama naman si Mrs. Leung. The police should not have waited so long before taking action. So the police themselves are the ones making news.

Ikatlo, palpak naman talaga ang hostage-taking handling. Ni hindi nga inalam ng mga pulis ano ang features ng tourist bus, kung may TV ba, saan ang mga exit at entry points, at ang pinaka-"major major" sa lahat, ni hindi nga humingi ang pulis sa may-ari ng bus o kaya sa manufacturer ano ang specs nito. So kung ang mga pulis na "expert" hindi nga alam ang mga ganitong simpleng detalye, why would they expect the media to be knowledgeable sa ganitong aspeto?

The PNP, including Quisumbing, expect the media to be responsible. Tama naman yun. Pero paano naman magiging responsible kung wala ngang sinabi ang mga pulis na "Hoy! Bawal yan. Nakikita tayo sa loob ni Mendoza dahil sa live broadcast niyo at nako-compromise ang mga ginagawa natin."? At paano naman sila makakapagsabi ng ganun kung hindi nga nila kino-konsidera ang mga simpleng detalye like pag-alam kung me TV nga sa loob ng bus? And, lastly, paano naman sila makakapagsabi eh hindi nga nila alam paano ang tamang proseso sa "pag-imbita" sa kapatid ng hostage-taker?

Ang sabi ni Mohammad na kaibigan ni Banoy, ang mabuti pa ay panoorin na lang ng mga pulis at media ang pelikulang "Newsmakers". Ito ang kuwento ng live broadcast ng hostage-taking sa Russia. Baka sakaling may matutunan na sila, kumita pa. Ayusin lang nila ng konti ang sistema hindi tulad ng original na inisip ni Katya (Mariya Mashcova), ang female lead sa pelikula. Marami daw na kopya niyan sa Quipo.

*****

Ang lessons dito:

1. Wala po sanang ping-pongan sa mga kasalanan. Kung mali, mali. Kung" big mistake", big mistake dapat at hindi "major, major problem". Period.
2. Sometimes, ang "major, major mistake" ay resulta ng hindi pag-pansin sa "minor, minor problem". Sabi nga ni Rolando Mendoza na nakapaskil sa bus: Big Mistake to Correct Big Wrong Decision.
   

Manila Police: There are shortcomings in Manila hostage crisis handling

As expected, the Manila police defended the handling of yesterday's Manila hostage crisis. Inquirer reported that "Manila police commander Leocadio Santiago said his personnel had made the correct decision in allowing the stand-off to drag on for more than 10 hours before storming the bus on Monday."

Along with this, Santiago admitted "some obvious shortcomings in terms of capability and tactics used, or the procedure employed and we are now going to investigate this".

Pero nalimutan ni Santiago at ng ground commander na sa shortcomings, nakapusta ang buhay ng mga tao lalo na nang mga hostages. With their shortcomings, na-shorten din ang buhay ng mga nasa loob ng bus maliban sa ilang hostages na nakaligtas. The words of Santiago in an interview is very clear: "But when the driver escaped and reported that he (Rodolfo Mendoza, the hostage-taker) has started killing the hostages, that was the time that the ground commander decided to assault the bus." (Emphasis supplied.)

Malinaw. HE HAS STARTED KILLING THE HOSTAGES. Ibig sabihin, di pa patay lahat. Ibig ding sabihin, may mga buhay pa and storming the bus with bullets and flash bombs and teargas would certainly complicate the situation.

Ikalawa, magtatapon ng teargas eh wala nga silang gas mask? Siyempre di rin agad papasok ang assaulting team dahil aantayin nila na mawala muna ang bisa ng tear gas. Kung magkagayon, siyempre, makakarecover na rin si Mendoza.

Ikatlo, hindi ba nila tinanong muna o tinawagan ang may-ari ng tourist bus o kaya ang manufacturer nito para alamin ano ang mga features nito, saan mahina, saan ang mga bukasan, gaano kalakas ang salamin, at iba pa? Imagine, 10 hours tapos walang ganitong impormasyon? Well, di kataka-taka na palpak ang mga rumesponde lalo na ang ground commander na walang kontrol sa pangyayari. Kaya hayun, ang mga crude na gamit tulad ng maso at kable ay useless.

The PNP says na isa sa shortcomings ay ang kakulangan sa gamit. This may be hard to accept. Me pang-travel-travel nga ang mga Euro Generals sa Moscow at sa ibang bansa, at kasama pa ang kanilang mga pamilya courtesy of the PNP money, tapos walang pambili ng mga gamit kahit gas mask lang?

Sabi ni Von: Nakowww!

Another Euro-General to Set to Retire

From GMANews.TV:

MANILA, Philippines – One of the “euro generals" implicated in the P6.9-million Moscow scandal is set to retire Wednesday.

Philippine National Police regional director Director Jaime Caringal, who has reached the mandatory retirement age of 56, will be replaced by Chief Superintendent Angelo Sunglao.

The turn-over ceremony will take place at Camp Colonel Romeo Abendan in Zamboanga City in western Mindanao at 10 a.m. Wednesday, PO3 Ella Mae Llanes oi the Region 9 police told GMANews.TV in a phone interview.

Caringal was among several officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) delegation who came under fire for incurring “cash advances" of 105,000 euros (P6.9 million) when they attended the 77th Interpol Assembly in St. Petersburg on October 7-10.

The irregular practice was exposed when customs officials at the Moscow airport detained former PNP comptroller Eliseo dela Paz, who had already retired from the service, for not declaring the huge amount of money in his possession.

Dela Paz was subsequently released after the PNP certified the purpose of the money. But Dela Paz is under investigation by the Senate.

Dela Paz, Caringal and PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa are all members of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1976. (Source here)

Dapat pala si Tikboy ay nag-police na lang at magpa-promote maging general para kung sakali, pag malapit ng mag-retire, me travel na sa Russia, kasama pa ang asawa. Kung sabagay, si Ping Lacson nga napabalita minsan na may bank accounts sa ibang bansa. Ibig sabihin, nagtravel din siya tulad ng mga Euro Generals. After which, naging senador pa.

Teka, puwede pa bang mag-shift ng propesyon?

Missing guns and Moscow scandal

Inquirer.Net notes:

Twenty firearms in the custody of the Quezon City General Services Office (GSO) have yet to be recovered nearly a month after these were reported missing.

Dito ata gagamitin ang spygears from Moscow na worth P6.9 million. Hindi kaya?

*****

But one thing funny, ba't kaya hindi titillating ang Moscow Scandal as opposed to the Makati Scandal, Olongapo Scandal, etc. na binebenta sa Quiapo?

Mafia and de la Paz

When I was still struggling in my profession, and the world during the time of Tabako Ramos was still chaotic and uncertain, my mentor taught me the difference between a legitimate business man and a person involved in illegal business transactions. Sabi niya, ang legitimate businessman ay mahahalata mo dahil kung makipag-usap yan it's either in cash or in cheque. Pero kung nakikipag-deal siya using cash at laging makapal ang bulsa, it's either that he is a mafiosi or a yakuza.

Does this confirm na may mafia nga diyan sa loob ng gobyerno? And De la Paz is a mafiosi?

If RETIRED PNP comptroller Eliseo De la Paz is in an official mission (which is amazing kasi nga retired na siya), he should be carrying cheques and other bank notes. Besides, the Philippine Government uses cheques in paying its transactions. Si Mang Impong nga na sanlibo lang ang sinisingil sa gobyerno kailangan pang sumuot sa butas ng karayom makasingil lang at makuha ang tseke niya. And we are talking here of millions? Ano to, tulad ng expose ni Panlilio with regards the cash gift? O baka cash gift din yun na dala ni De la Paz?

Peace, men! Peace!