‘MPD chief was ordered to use SAF’ (6:26 p.m.)

MANILA -- The region's police chief has apparently ordered the ground commander to use a more experienced police team in dealing with the hostage-taking situation.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Leocadio Santiago told the fact-finding panel Saturday that he has ordered former Manila Police District (MPD) head Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay through Superintendent Remus Medina of the NCRPO to utilize the Special Action Forces (SAF) unit at around 8 p.m.

To recall, the MPD-Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) group surrounded the seized bus at 7:30 p.m. but it took them more than an hour later before taking down the hostage-taker, dismissed police officer Rolando Mendoza, through a sniper.

By the time the SWAT has gotten inside the bus, Mendoza had already killed eight tourists, mostly Hong Kong nationals.

Santiago said he did not immediately order the intervention of the SAF unit because it would cause confusion on the police officers.

"When the ground commander issues an order, it is not right to issue a contravening order," he told the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC).

It was in the Emerald Restaurant where Magtibay told Santiago that he has already ordered the assault after learning that the hostage-taker has started shooting the hostages.

The two police officers were "invited" by Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, chair of the crisis management committee at that time, to the restaurant to be briefed on the developments of the situation.

However, Santiago also admitted that the preference of Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Jesus Versoza was also to utilize the SAF unit, a preference that was early on relayed to the ground commander.

The NCRPO chief said that in terms of training, the SAF is more experienced than Manila's SWAT. He, however, added that the SAF has two functions, whether they will execute on their own or support the local unit.

Panel member Roan Libarios, governor of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, then asked Santiago if the SAF could have been immediately deployed if the situation has been treated as a national crisis.

"The level of response would depend largely on the characterization of the crisis incident...Since the characteristics were largely local, then the handling force was the local Manila SWAT team," Santiago explained. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)