Perilous Times
Gunmen, seven hostages killed in Manila bus siege
The bus driver of the bus with tourists being held hostage runs for his
life after escaping from the bus at Quirino Grandstand in Manila August
23, 2010.
By Manny Mogato and Romeo Ranoco
MANILA | Mon Aug 23, 2010 11:35am EDT
MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine police shot dead a sacked former
policeman as they stormed a bus on which he was holding 15 Hong Kong
tourists hostage in downturn Manila on Monday, and China said seven
hostages were killed.
Two more hostages were seriously wounded and Hong Kong leader Donald
Tsang criticized the authorities handling of the siege, the violent
final stages of which were beamed live by global news channels.
The gunman, identified as 55-year-old ex-police captain Rolando Mendoza
who was armed with an M-16 assault rifle, had stopped the bus, which
initially had 25 people on board, on a wide road in Manila's biggest
park in the morning.
"The hostage-taker was killed. He chose to shoot it out with our men,"
police Colonel Nelson Yabut told reporters.
"On our first assault, Captain Mendoza was sprawled in the middle of
the aisle and shot one of our operatives. On our second assault we
killed him."
Yabut said a woman was seen moving at the back of the bus during the
first attempt, and on the second assault the 30 commandos had used tear
gas and flash bombs. Mendoza moved to the bus door, where snipers shot
him, Yabut said.
"We did everything to negotiate and end this peacefully, but he gave us
no choice," he said.
Police could be seen removing a body from the front of the bus before
entering the vehicle and minutes later a number of hostages were helped
off the bus.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Tsang, citing China's Foreign Ministry, said
seven Hong Kong residents were killed, two severely wounded and the
remaining six hospitalized in what he described as a "major tragedy."
"The way it was handled, particularly the outcome, I find is
disappointing," he told a news conference in the city.
Philippines Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said unofficial figures
from hospitals where hostages were taken showed seven were dead. A
bystander was also hit by a stray bullet.
"I'm with the deputy ambassador of China... we are in the process of
validating and verifying the names," he told ANC television.
SERIES OF SHOTS
The end of the day-long drama came more than an hour after police
commandos had first moved in to break windows and surround the bus
following a series of shots.
The driver of the bus was seen running to safety after the first flurry
of gunshots.
Mendoza had threatened to kill the hostages in a live telephone
interview with a local radio station.
"I can see there are many SWAT teams arriving, they are all around,"
Mendoza, speaking in Tagalog, had said. "I know they will kill me, I'm
telling them to leave because anytime I will do the same here."
For much of the day the gunman had appeared to be negotiating calmly
with police, organizing food and fuel for the air-conditioning. Nine
hostages, six Hong Kongers and three Filipinos, mostly women and
children, had been released in stages.
Mendoza's brother, Gregorio, told a local TV station that his brother
was upset by his dismissal from the force. Local media said he had been
sacked for reasons including extortion, and due to his sacking he had
lost his retirement benefits.
"His problem was he was unjustly removed from service. There was no due
process, no hearing, no complaint," said Gregorio, who was later taken
into custody by police shortly before the situation deteriorated.
Stuck to the bus door was a piece of paper with the handwritten
message: "BIG MISTAKE TO CORRECT. A BIG WRONG DECISION."
The tragedy played out in front of the Quirino Grandstand, where less
than two months ago Benigno Aquino III had taken his presidential oath.
(Additional reporting by Rosemarie Francisco and Karen Lema in Manila
and James Pomfret in Hong Kong; Writing by John Mair; Editing by Alex
Richardson)