Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Resolution No._______

Introduced by Akbayan Partylist Representatives Kaka Bag-ao
and Walden Bello

A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE HOUSE COMMITTEES ON LOCAL

GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC ORDER AND SAFETY, AND PUBLIC
INFORMATION TO CONDUCT A JOINT INQUIRY,
IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE BLOODY THE HOSTAGE-TAKING
INCIDENT
THAT TOOK PLACE IN QUIRINO GRANDSTAND, MANILA CITY, ON
AUGUST 23, 2010

WHEREAS, on Monday, August 23, 2010, a ghastly carnage happened when

a hostage-taking incident led to the killing of seven Hong Kong citizens and
one Filipino;

WHEREAS, the hostage taker, Rolando Mendoza, a police officer who was
facing dismissal from service because of robbery, extortion, and grave
threats, took over a bus with 25 people, mostly Hong Kong citizens, in
Quirino Grandstand, Manila, and demanded for his reinstatement;

WHEREAS, Mendoza released nine hostages earlier in the stand-off while he

negotiated for the dismissal of the charges against him before the
Ombudsman and while he sought the intervention by the media;

WHEREAS, it was reported that the hostage-taker had access to live TV and
radio reports of the incident;

WHEREAS, as the situation unfolded, it became evident that the police force
was unprepared, ill-equipped, and severely disorganized to resolve the
incident peacefully;

WHEREAS, the negotiation even includes public officials outside the police
force, including Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and Vice-Mayor Isko
Moreno, raising concerns about the lack of control and command during the
negotiations and the absence of capable hostage negotiator;
no clear assault plan and decisive implementation thereof
WHEREAS, officials of the police force were routinely speaking to media and
were even discussing their plans to the public, giving the hostage-taker
strategic advantage over the disorganized assault team;

WHEREAS, no news black out was imposed on media coverage, and blow by
blow accounts of the actions being undertaken by the assaulting team were
broadcasted live by various TV stations and radio outfits;

WHEREAS, the police used mediocre equipments in assaulting the bus;

WHEREAS, it was likewise clear that the police assaulted the bus
unprepared and ignorant of the engineering, make-up and safety features of
the vehicle, therefore bungling the operation several times and giving the
hostage-taker time and advantage to prepare for the attack and revealing
that there was no clear assault plan and decisive implementation thereof;

WHEREAS, no crowd control mechanism was in place, and during the

shootout, a 13-year old bystander was hit by a stray bullet and immediately
after Mendoza was gunned down by a sniper, the bystanders rushed towards
the bus unimpeded, compromising the rescue operation and restricting the
mobility of the ambulances in the area;

WHEREAS, a TV crew was seen accompanying the Scene of Crime Operation

(SOCO) operatives inside the bus;

WHEREAS, as a result of the incident, Hong Kong issued a Black Travel Alert
for the Philippines, warning its citizens against going to the country because
of ‘severe threats’;

WHEREAS, there is a need to review the standard procedures of the PNP in

handling hostage-taking situations to prevent the recurrence of the same
tragic mistakes;

WHEREAS, there is a need to review the protocol on media coverage and

crowd control during extremely volatile situations like the Quirino
Grandstand hostage-taking incident where the lives of civilians are at stake;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, that

a joint inquiry be conducted by the House Committees on Local Government,
Public Order and Safety, and Public Information, in aid of legislation, on the
Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking incident.

Adopted,
HON. KAKA BAG-AO HON. WALDEN BELLO
Akbayan Party-list Akbayan Party-list