9 Hong Kong tourist dead in Manila hostage shootout

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Also, the filipino police claimed that they lost their element of surprise because their actions were shown on TV, which the hostage-take had access to. WTF?? Why didn't they ban media coverage of their actions?

Why would we want that? So they could cover up just how incompetent they were?:mad: I'm glad that the media took nice crisp footages of their buffonery - now they can't deny that it was their fault!
 

rhino123

Pencil Pusher
VIP Professional
Actually 9 had died thus far... 1 of them died in the hospital on Tuesday night, because of grievous wound.

When I read that the police of Philippines claimed that they have lost the element of surprise due to the media reporting LIVE... but I think that might only be one reason... I mean... come on... even a blind man or one that is almost deaf would know police are trying to get into the vehicle when these idiots start smashing the windows with hammer and could climb in.

The best element of surprise is to storm the vehicle at the first possible time using frame charge, blew the door out and get in immediately, then shoot your suspect quickly. Everything should be over in minutes or seconds... but that didn't seemed to be the case with the Philippines special forces.

Another way is to line a number of snipers, each assigned to one window (it is a bus, for god sake, how many window can a bus have?). When the suspect shown himself, shoot him dead immediately - end of story... but obviously the Philippines did nothing of that.

All the things that could have gone wrong, had gone wrong in this hostage taking scenario. I think the Philippines should really sent their SWAT teams overseas to be trained by some friendly nations.

Well... as to the media... couldn't the police do something to shield transmission from the bus or at least jam the transmission to the bus, so the suspect could not monitor anyone or anything.
 
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Semi-Lobster

Junior Member
Actually 9 had died thus far... 1 of them died in the hospital on thursday night, because of grievous wound.

When I read that the police of Philippines claimed that they have lost the element of surprise due to the media reporting LIVE... but I think that might only be one reason... I mean... come on... even a blind man or one that is almost deaf would know police are trying to get into the vehicle when these idiots start smashing the windows with hammer and could climb in.

The best element of surprise is to storm the vehicle at the first possible time using frame charge, blew the door out and get in immediately, then shoot your suspect quickly. Everything should be over in minutes or seconds... but that didn't seemed to be the case with the Philippines special forces.

Another way is to line a number of snipers, each assigned to one window (it is a bus, for god sake, how many window can a bus have?). When the suspect shown himself, shoot him dead immediately - end of story... but obviously the Philippines did nothing of that.

All the things that could have gone wrong, had gone wrong in this hostage taking scenario. I think the Philippines should really sent their SWAT teams overseas to be trained by some friendly nations.

Well... as to the media... couldn't the police do something to shield transmission from the bus or at least jam the transmission to the bus, so the suspect could not monitor anyone or anything.

Mendoza, the hostage taker did not just see the police trying to enter the bus as well. Negotiations according to survivors were going pretty well, he did not intend to kill anybody (although he was obviously beyond the point of rationality of course) but after he saw the live news coverage of his brother, who had been brought to talk him out the situation, roughed up and arrested, he went crazy and started shooting people. Mr. Leung, one of the victims tried to disarm him but he was killed.
 

Quickie

Colonel
Mendoza, the hostage taker did not just see the police trying to enter the bus as well. Negotiations according to survivors were going pretty well, he did not intend to kill anybody (although he was obviously beyond the point of rationality of course) but after he saw the live news coverage of his brother, who had been brought to talk him out the situation, roughed up and arrested, he went crazy and started shooting people. Mr. Leung, one of the victims tried to disarm him but he was killed.

And now they are afraid of firing or punishing any of these policemen lest they go berserk and decide to hold hostages of their own. :confused:
 

rhino123

Pencil Pusher
VIP Professional
Mendoza, the hostage taker did not just see the police trying to enter the bus as well. Negotiations according to survivors were going pretty well, he did not intend to kill anybody (although he was obviously beyond the point of rationality of course) but after he saw the live news coverage of his brother, who had been brought to talk him out the situation, roughed up and arrested, he went crazy and started shooting people. Mr. Leung, one of the victims tried to disarm him but he was killed.

I agreed with what you have said... but I believe the most important thing in a hostage taking scenario, like the one in Manila, it should be tackled very fast. Before any hostage takers had the reason to act otherwise.

And the Philippines police or government or authority should really review their policy of media coverage. Sometime it is not good to give the media too much freedom. If that is not possible, then at least invest in some jamming device, so as to jam all electronic and digital signal that could be received in a precinity, and deny outside any electronic contact to the precinity, so the hostage taker would not know what is happening outside the bus.

Plus... it is stupid to rough out some hostage taker's relatives, friends, love one or even colleagues in front of him. Obviously that man is already irrational there really is no point of agitating him further.

From what I see the Philippines polices had lost all initiative that they should have otherwise exploited. And after that, they went about many other stupid things like continual allowing of live broadcast by the media, roughing out of hostage taker's relative (even cuffing him)... and did nothing or very little in terms of controlling the public... so much so that when bullets started flying, I think at least one member of the public was hit by the stray bullet.

Overall... the entire rescue mission is a big international SWAT community's joke.
 

lcloo

Captain
I think after decades of violence and shooting, some Phillipinos are becoming insensitive to other's suffering. Look at the photo, if you don't read the news for the last few days, you would mistaken them posing at a tourist attraction.
 

Semi-Lobster

Junior Member
Exactly...check out this group of school girls posing near the hostage bus..

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While this is a completely disrespectful photo (theres photos of Filipino police smiling in front of the bus as well) the last thing any of us what to see is discrimination against any group of people because of the insensitive and short-sighted actions of a few terrible idiots.
 
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