MANILA, Philippines ? (UPDATE) Philippine National Police (PNP) Director-General Jesus Versoza admitted that they have not fully perfected crowd control in hostage crisis situations.

During the hearing of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) on the tragic hostage-taking incident last August 23, Versoza said the command center was crowded.

Versoza pointed out that crowd control involved not only keeping kibitzers away, but also other people who should not be in the area, including the media and even police officers and other personalities not directly involved with resolving the situation.

?There had been a mix-up,? Versoza said under questioning by broadcaster Herman Basbaño, one of the five members of the panel investigating the hostage drama that put the Aquino administration under derision.

?The lapses happened because of the failure to have crowd control. We saw some lapses because I think we have failed to designate a media center where media briefings should have been given,? he added.

During his testimony, Verzosa admitted that he flew to Cagayan de Oro City more than four hours after he was informed that a dismissed policeman had commandeered a bus and took its occupants hostages.

?Before I boarded the flight, there was already development in the negotiation,? he said, adding that he just ordered former Manila police director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay and other senior police officials to handle the hostage drama.

He said Magtibay even told him that the incident would be resolved peacefully as the hostage-taker seemed cooperative with police negotiators.

Verzosa said he went to Cagayan de Oro to attend a multisectoral forum on crime situation in Lanao del Sur.

Eight of the 22 Hong Kong tourists who were held hostage on board a bus by dismissed police officer Rolando Mendoza were killed in botched rescue operations. Mendoza himself was killed after negotiations with authorities over his demand to be reinstated failed. The police officer was found guilty of drug-related offenses.

In an attempt to rescue the hostages, a bystander, who was among the crowd that gathered to witness the drama, was wounded in the exchange of gunfire between Mendoza and elements of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT).

?It [the crowd] interferes directly with the decision-making process of the operatives,? Versoza told the committee members.

?We have not perfected crowd control,? he said.

Also, Versoza said the MPD-SWAT was trained in handling hostage situations but lacked equipment.

?The MPD SWAT is a trained unit but there could be some incapacities pertaining to some high end equipments?For the MPD SWAT, they have been recipient of awards when we do competitions with SWAT units nationwide,? Versoza said.