Case Study No: 4

Manila Hostage Tragedy: A Lesson in Crisis

Management
By Ava Patricia C. Avila and Jet Olfato**

Synopsis
The hostage crisis in Manila took place in Quirino grandstand which commemorates the Philippine
democratic struggle, and where elected heads of state take their vow of office, including President
Benigno Aquino. The incident reveals the many flaws in the country’s security regime and crisis
management strategies.

Commentary
Bloodbath in Quirino

ON 23 AUGUST 2010, expelled police officer Rolando Mendoza hijacked a busload of Hong Kong
tourists, which ended with the death of nine people, including the hostage-taker himself. Mendoza,
a decorated Manila police officer dismissed for his alleged involvement in drug-related crimes and
extortion, demanded reappointment in the service. Negotiations led by police enforcers took place
but collapsed when the suspect’s brother was arrested. Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT)
operatives were positioned to attack but failed to contain the situation.

As the eleventh-hour standoff concluded, the shocked public was left with unanswered
questions and emotional condemnations. With the Philippines already marred by turbulent
politics, how can the country move forward from this failure in crisis management? How can
it claim back the trust of the international community, especially Hong Kong and China, as
bilateral tensions continue to escalate?

Tactical Errors

In a country troubled by crime, insurgency and terrorism, hostage taking is not something
uncommon, especially in the south, where Abu Sayyaf has made it their bread and butter to hold
civilians to ransom. In fact, Filipino military troops, who have partnered and trained with US Special
Forces, are skilled in crisis response tactics. However, the detachment involved in the recent
hostage crisis was one that was oddly unprepared, even though the Philippine National Police (PNP)
has the elite SWAT and Special Action Force (SAF) units to deal with such cases.

The tragedy placed international spotlight on the competency of the Philippine law enforcement
sector to effectively manage crisis situations. In any setting such as what transpired, the top priority
is, at all times, to secure the safety of the hostages. What aggravated the outrage of the public are
the numerous missed opportunities of the hostage response team, which might have led to fewer
casualties and a more acceptable outcome. However, the lack of professionalism on the part of the
police team, the absence of swift counter- measures and the indecisiveness of the leadership –
exposed the Philippine law enforcers to strong condemnation from the global audience, who were
closely scrutinizing the event as it unfolded.

The extensive media coverage earned substantial airtime in local and global networks, which in
itself was a tactical error in a highly sensitive situation. As it turned out, it had indeed been a
contributing factor to the over- all failure of the police response to the crisis. For one, it allowed the
Philippine police force and SWAT team to be exposed to an emotional and critical audience. More
importantly, the media presence interfered with a delicate operation.

Something that seems to have been forgotten during the negotiations was the need to pay more
attention to the psychology of the hostage taker. Typically, lives are greatly at risk at the hands of a
depressed and suicidal or cold-blooded individual. What happened in Manila was exactly this.
Experts advised that the resolution of a hostage crisis requires the use of every type of
communications strategy by a skilled practical psychologist as negotiator or backup negotiator.
Most negotiation teams in Philippine hostage situations have been headed by government officials,
police officers, politicians, media people or even celebrities. The recommendations of the specialists
should have been heeded.

Refocusing on Crisis and Post-crisis Management

The government has to deal with pressures from two fronts – the disgruntled Filipino public and the
displeased Hong Kong government.

The post-crisis scenario would serve as a test for an administration that was installed only two
months back. All eyes are now on newly-minted President Aquino as the public anticipates reforms
in response to the various glitches in the crisis management system. The incident not only
underlines the crucial need to upgrade police competency. It also exposes an opportunity to dissect
the system of adjudication in the country – which was essentially the grievance of hijacker
Mendoza.

Apart from the obligation of the government to placate the citizenry, the hostage incident will test
the Aquino administration’s capacity to manage the country’s diplomatic relations with Hong Kong
and China, where the general outcry has been more emotional and possibly turning hostile as well.
As people in Hong Kong expressed their utter dismay through various rallies and protests in front of
the Philippine consulate, the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities sought a thorough and impartial
investigation into the crisis. There are indications that the hostage crisis might undermine relations
between Philippines and Hong Kong where many Filipinos work as domestic helpers. The task of the
Philippine government is to guarantee the well-being of Filipinos in Hong Kong, even as it promptly
contains and manages the diplomatic fallout.

Reforming the Philippine Crisis Response

Members of the political opposition, foremost among them the allies of former President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo who is now a congressional representative, quickly seized on the opportunity to
use the alleged inefficiency as a bullet against the Aquino leadership. While squabbles in the
political arena continue, and as finger-pointing ensues, unproductive politicking must take a
backseat and give way to enhancing the capacity of the government to respond to crises.

Before the year ends, the budget for 2011 will be approved. It is hoped that the proposed allocation
of US $209 million for defense will be managed well. As the country is rebuilding its image,
investigation must continue at all levels including the police, media and other government agencies
involved. This is an opportune time for long-term creative approaches and solutions.

Your Insights here:

Hostage taking in Quirino Grandstand is another major problem that our country should
face. This tragedy was the result of an injustice caused by a poor decision made by higher-ranking
officials. Is there any person that should be blamed for this hostage drama? Is it the hostage-taker?
Or the people behind his back who pushed him to do this violent hostage-taking?

The crisis strained political and economic relations between the Philippine and Hong Kong
and Chinese governments, as well as between their citizens. This incident may be viewed as an
isolated event, an unfortunate episode that regrettably included tourists. But the ripples that it
created goes beyond that single fateful day and the handling of this incident inevitably reflects on
the quality of diplomacy established by the foreign service posts in China and Hong Kong.

Pres. Noynoy Aquino should make a move that will punish all the people have fault in this
hostage crisis and identify who should be blame for these wrong actions. The media should not
show how awful the police treated the brother of the hostage taker. Every one of us should be
sensitive to what was happened. We should show sympathy to our Chinese brothers that we didn't
want the event had happened. We should learn from this so that we will know how to avoid this
kind of situation.