MANILA, Philippines -- Malacañang has decided to meet first with broadcast media organizations on a protocol that government security forces and media would follow during crisis situations, like hostage-taking, Palace strategic communications secretary Ricky Carandang said in a news briefing on Tuesday.

?They?re the most active real time,? Carandang told reporters.

Carandang, himself a broadcast journalist with ABS-CBN before he joined the Cabinet, said he has scheduled a meeting with at least three broadcast news organizations for Wednesday.

The role of the broadcast media in the hostage crisis that ended in the deaths of eight Hong Kong tourists last week proved crucial as the hostage taker, dismissed Senior Insp. Rolando Mendoza, knew what was going on outside of the bus by simply watching the blow-by-blow coverage of media on the TV monitor inside the tourist bus.

Mendoza went berserk after he saw his brother, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, being arrested by cops. Policemen said they believed Gregorio was agitating his brother, instead of convincing him to surrender.

Rolando Mendoza also informed a radio anchorman that he had killed two Chinese tourists after his brother?s arrest.