Newsman: Ratings war drives hostage coverage

MANILA (Updated 1:27 p.m.) -- TV5 news anchor Erwin Tulfo on Wednesday pointed to the ratings war as the main reason behind the radio station's decision to put the slain hostage-taker on air at the critical stage of the August 23 fiasco.

Tulfo told the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) that it is normal for networks to jostle for exclusive stories for the sake of high ratings, which translate to burgeoning advertising revenues.

"Our objective is really to talk to the hostage-taker (Rolando Mendoza) because there is no enough information given to us by the spokesperson of the Manila Police District (Police Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo), that's why the radio station called up Mendoza. We are already aware of Mendoza's background but not of the hostages. We don't know about their profile and the condition," said Tulfo.

The newsman said he knew Mendoza way back when he was then assigned to cover MPD, but he could not give a thorough description of the personality of the hostage-taker.

"I wasn't aware of the case he was involved in. I only knew of his accomplishments when I visited the wake where I saw plaques and certificates," said Tulfo.

The TV5 news anchor also affirmed the stand of Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) in its decision to interview Mendoza at the critical stage of the incident.

Tulfo was able to talk to a female hostage named Yang Lee Wah, a 44-year-old Hong Kong tourist, who was later identified by IIRC chairman and Justice Secretary Leila De Lima as one of the fatalities.

Veteran broadcast journalist Susan Enriquez, on the other hand, noticed that the police failed to guide media during the bloody hostage crisis.

She said the police never lifted a finger to request a news blackout.

It can be remembered that Enriquez was able to interview the dismissed police officer's brother, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, while he was being escorted by policemen to a mobile patrol car.

"As far as I know, the police did not stop us to cover. Even during the arrest of Mendoza's brother, they (police) did not ask us to turn off our cameras. The situation has been fluid at that time and no one even bothered to call up our bosses asking them to stop our live feeds," she said.

Enriquez maintained that she and her crew were away from the bus and never attempted to go near it.

"There's a police line there already and if the policemen asked us not to cover, I will report it to my bosses and it's their call already whether to pull us out in the area," she said.

The broadcaster said her network has issued a statement last August 27 in connection to the blow-by-blow coverage with the ultimate goal of reviewing current guidelines.

"We are now taking a second look at our existing policies and processes to determine how these can be improved and how we can fill up what is lacking. We are also open to dialogue with authorities on how we could work together in situations like this in the interest of the safety of the public, especially the hostages," a part of GMA Network statement read.

Enriquez also told the committee that she was able to talk briefly to the hostage-taker after then Manila Police director Rodolfo Magtibay informed her of such request.

She added that the government should have treated it as an international crisis since most of the hostages are foreigners.

Eight tourists from Hong Kong died during the hostage crisis on August 23 in Quirino Grandstand after Mendoza hijacked the Hong Thai Travel bus.

The IIRC said the autopsy and ballistics test results will be presented in Wednesday's hearing before moving to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City to do a reenactment of the hostage incident inside the bullet-riddled bus. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)