'Interference bogged down hostage deal'

MANILA (Updated 3:56 p.m.) -- A police officer who was designated as assistant negotiator during the hostage crisis that left eight tourists dead said the hostage-taking could have ended peacefully if no one interfered in the deal.

Asked who interfered in the botched negotiations, Chief Inspector Romeo Salvador could not name names, but said during the resumption of the fact-finding committee hearing Saturday that they already had a last option to make the deal last August 23 successful -- the reinstatement order of the hostage-taker.

Post your reaction to the Manila hostage crisis

He said the hostage-taker, dismissed police officer Rolando Mendoza, just wanted to get his job back and is willing to face charges for holding hostage 25 people, mostly tourists.

"Maibalik lang ako sa serbisyo... Alam ko namang kakasuhan na ako sa ginawa kong ito eh," Salvador quoted Mendoza as saying.

The hostage-taking happened when Mendoza hijacked a Hong Thai Travel bus carrying tourists from Hong Kong, China around 10 a.m. of August 23. The incident ended bloody after Mendoza started firing at his hostages.

Salvador said he informed chief negotiator Superintendent Orlando Yebra during the negotiations that Mendoza is willing to accept even just a temporary reinstatement order and face charges. However, he said no order came.

Subdue hostage taker

He said the negotiations bogged down past 6:30 p.m. when Mendoza started not answering their calls.

Salvador also said during the hearing that the bloodbath, which happened at the Quirino Grandstand, could have been prevented if he was allowed by Yebra to take Mendoza down.

"I recommended na dambahin po si Captain Mendoza...Hindi po ako pinayagan (ni Yebra)," he narrated.

Yebra denied Salvador's request since the rules in negotiating procedures do not recommend such.

"Yes, your honor. Kahit mag-isa po ako, kaya ko po siya," Salvador answered when Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) panel member Herman Basbaño, president of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, asked if he could subdue Mendoza.

Salvador faced the five-man IIRC headed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima Saturday afternoon after Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno.

Not local crisis

In his testimony before the five-man investigating body, Moreno said the hostage-taking incident that killed eight tourists should not have been treated as a local crisis.

"I believe on a personal level, kung involved na ang mga foreigners, sana dumating na yung mga tao sa National Government na dapat kabahagi na nung programa nung nangyayaring sitwasyon," Moreno told Basbaño.

On Friday's hearing, Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno, Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa, and Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay admitted the hostage taking was deemed as a local crisis.

"Do I agree? After I learned that there is an international individual? No, I do not agree," Moreno said.

He said during the crucial moments of the hostage crisis, he was having his coffee "lonely at the bar" at the Manila Pavilion Hotel.

He also admitted not knowing the composition of the crisis management committee, which Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim leads during the hostage crisis.

The CMC handles local crisis situations and was formed by Lim after learning of the hostage crisis at the Quirino Grandstand.

Moreno and Lim were not present at the command center when the hostage taker started shooting most of the hostages. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)