It’s been a year since a dismissed police officer named Rolando Mendoza held hostage a busload of Chinese tourists and demanded reinstatement with full benefits from the authorities.
What happened in the next few hours would be seared in the collective national memory. After several minutes of gunfire, the bus driver escaped from the vehicle only to declare on national TV that “everyone is dead.”
Eight persons including Mendoza were killed while several others were injured. Investigations by the national and Hong Kong governments cast the blame on the police for their dismal handling of the hostage crisis that, in the initial stages, showed promise of an easy resolution.
But there were other factors involved. Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim’s decision to order the arrest of Mendoza’s brother and the unfortunate handling of the live TV and radio broadcast of the crisis contributed to the fiasco.
If anything, the first anniversary of the hostage tragedy not only showed the flaws of law enforcement agencies but of the broadcast media itself, which bore the brunt of criticism not only from the national government but the public and even practitioners within its ranks.
In the wake of the tragedy, national and local media worked with the police in crafting guidelines to ensure that coverage of hostage situations doesn’t go out of bounds. We must be able to preserve freedom of the press and information without placing at risk the lives of hostages.
At the core of the conflict is the value of human lives. No story is worth dying for; neither is a news subject worth sacrificing for a scoop.
One key lesson in the guidelines of hostage coverages is for the media to stick to their role as observers and not get involved as negotiators.
A broadcast practitioner was among those who spoke directly with Mendoza. When news of the arrest of Mendoza’s brother came out, he asked him rather provocatively, “What are you going to do now?”
That question was enough to set off Mendoza into a murderous rage and egged him to cut off communication with negotiators, ending whatever chances of a peaceful resolution there were.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she would make herself available to receive and listen to families of the slain Chinese victims. The wounds have not yet healed.
President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III signified his intention not to attend the one year anniversary of the Aug. 23 hostage tragedy.
We hope the lessons of that day of infamy have been well learned.