MANILA, Philippines ? Members of the elite units of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Friday showed off their skills in handling crises, days after the bloody hostage crisis in Quirino Grandstand last August 23.

Philippine National Police spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said this was done to assure both the local and international communities that the national police is still capable of handling crises, despite the bungled rescue of Hong Kong tourists, eight of whom were killed.

In the exercise, police were asked to handle a hostage-taking incident, where a group of heavily-armed men robbed a bank and held hostage its employees.

Part of the scenario was a crowd of unruly kibitzers and media who rushed to the scene at the midst of the hostage-taking.

Unlike the incident in Quirino Grandstand where there was no police line and effective crowd control, the exercise showed several members of the police Civil Disturbance Management unit warding off the crowd and blocking them off several feet away from the hostage site.

Members of the elite Special Action Force and the Regional Public Safety Battalion also displayed their skills in responding to the crisis as they effectively assisted hostage victims who were released by the armed men.

A spokesman was also designated to coordinate and give updates to the media on the negotiations. Live coverage of the hostage crisis was also prohibited, a scenario very far from the police response during the hostage drama last August 23.

However, President Benigno Aquino III was absent during the event, even as media invites showed that he was the guest of honor.

The exercise was meant to show that despite of the supposed errors committed by police in the Qurino Grandstand, the police force was ready to respond to crisis situations.

"We are showing our people that the government is capable of maintaining peace and order and addressing criminality," Cruz said in an interview.

Meanwhile, NCRPO Director Leocadio Santiago said the exercise was meant for them to assess the capabilities of their men in terms of equipment and in manpower.

"This is an assessment of what's lacking in our men. Training will take months," Santiago told reporters.