Republic of the Philippines HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Quezon City FIFTEENTH CONGRESS First Regular Session HOUSE RESOLUTION No.

294

Introduced by Reps. TEDDY A. CASIO and NERI JAVIER COLMENARES

RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ORDER AND SECURITY, TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE BOTCHED RESCUE OPERATION OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE (PNP) IN A HOSTAGE-TAKING INCIDENT LAST AUGUST 23, 2010 THAT CLAIMED INNOCENT LIVES OF AT LEAST EIGHT HONG KONG NATIONALS IN A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE PNP IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ITS RULES OF ENGAGEMENT AS MANDATED BY ITS OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
WHEREAS, at 10:15 a.m. of August 23, 2010, former senior police inspector Rolando Mendoza, 55 and married with three children, hitched a ride with the foreign tourists who were to visit historic sites in Manila. Wearing a camouflage uniform and armed with an M-16 rifle, he did not seem out of the ordinary in the heavily policed capital; WHEREAS, the Jaycees International gave Mendoza its Ten Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines (TOPP) award in 1986. He garnered 17 awards and commendations as multiple citations from the Philippine National Police (PNP). Among them were the PNP Medal of Commendation, the PNP Badge of Honor, PNP Efficiency Medal, PNP Merit Medal and the PNP Service Medal; WHEREAS, Mendoza was however discharged from the service in 2008 due to administrative charges filed against him and three other officers for alleged involvement in drug-related crimes and extortion and for forcing Christian Kalaw, a hotel chef to swallow a sachet full of shabu. They were found guilty by the Ombudsman of grave misconduct for allegedly extorting P20,000 from Kalaw. He eventually hijacked the bus in a desperate bid to clear his name and have himself reinstated in the police force; WHEREAS, the 12-hour hostage ended when a police sniper shot Mendoza dead. Casualties in the botched operation include eight (8) tourists dead, while another seven were in various hospitals with unspecified injuries. Nine other hostages, including children, were freed at various times throughout the day from the bus that was parked at Rizal Park, a popular tourist destination just a few blocks from the Manila police headquarters. The tourists, aged between four and 72, were on a three-day tour with Hong Thai Travel due to on end that same ill-fated Monday; WHEREAS, negotiations broke down after nightfall when Mendoza began shooting and PNP SWAT members were forced to storm the tourist bus;

WHEREAS, after waiting more than 10 hours to launch their ill-planned assault, the police were unable to get inside the bus for another 90 minutes. They encircled the bus, smashed its windows and doors, but Mendoza held them off by shooting back; WHEREAS, other incidents that involved PNP violations of its own operational procedures and relevant laws include the 2008 deadly shootout with robbers in Paraaque City that resulted in five civilian deaths, and the recent PNP torture video that involved another decorated police officer who was reportedly caught on video torturing a criminal suspect; WHEREAS, yesterdays hostage crisis revealed that the PNP was ill-prepared to address the situation. The police assault on the tourist in particular highlighted the PNPs severe lack of specialist training, incompetence and lack of needed equipment required of hostage rescue operations; WHEREAS, clearly, the PNP violated most, if not all, its own Manual (PNPM-DO-DS-3-1) on Operational Procedures it updated on March 2010. For the August 23, 2010 hostage crisis incident, the PNP specifically violated the following sections of Rule 26 on Hostage Situation/Barricaded Situations to wit: Section 1b. Incident scene shall be secured and isolated; Section 1c. Unauthorized persons shall not be allowed entry or exit to the incident scene; Section 1d. Witnesses names, addresses, and other information shall be recorded. Witnesses shall be directed to a safe location; Section 2. There shall only one Ground Commander in the area. Until such time that he officially designates a spokesperson, he may issue appropriate press statements and continue to perform the role of the spokesperson; Section 3. Negotiators shall be designated by the Ground Commander. No one shall be allowed to talk to the hostage-taker without clearance from the negotiator or Ground Commander; Section 5. The assault shall be planned to ensure minimal threat to life for all parties; Section 9c. Police officers without proper training shall not be allowed to participate in hostage negotiations; and Rule 31. General Rules on Media Relations; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Committee on Public Order and Security, conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the botched rescue operation of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a hostage-taking incident last August 23, 2010 involving that claimed innocent lives of at least eight Hong Kong Nationals in a complete failure of the PNP in the implementation of its rules of engagement as mandated by its operational procedures. Adopted, TEDDY A. CASIO NERI JAVIER COLMENARES

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