LRTA to shorten operating schedules starting Sept 15

GMANews.TV - Saturday, September 11

Starting September 15, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) will shorten operating schedules of LRT lines 1 and 2 by one hour, as part of the maintenance of its facilities.
Government-run dzRB radio reported Saturday the schedule will affect the LRT-1 (Monumento to Baclaran) and LRT-2 (Santolan to Recto).
Starting Wednesday, the last train from Baclaran station will leave at 9:30 p.m., while the last train from Monumento will leave at 10 p.m.
The last train from Santolan in Marikina will leave at 9:30 p.m., while the last trip from Claro M. Recto Avenue in Manila will leave at 10 p.m.
LRT operations had been extended last March 4, after a clamor for longer hours. LRT 1 and 2 serve mainly students and employees.
According to the LRT Authority website, the first trains start operations at 5 a.m. on weekdays. — LBG, GMANews.TV

Filipinos in Hong Kong fearful after hostage siege

By Yahoo! Southeast Asia Editors – August 29th, 2010

 

By Polly Hui
Agence France Presse
HONG KONG — Joy Fajardo likes to spend her Sundays meeting friends from her home town in Chater Garden, a famous gathering spot for the Philippine community at the heart of Hong Kong’s financial centre.
But this Sunday was an exception.
The 30-year-old said she was warned to stay away from Chinese crowds for fear of retribution over the dramatic hostage crisis that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead in Manila Monday.
“We are very worried to be living in a Chinese community now,” Fajardo told AFP.
Anger and grief mounted this week after a busload of Hong Kong tourists was hijacked in Manila last Monday by a sacked policeman armed with an assault rifle in a bloody siege watched live around the world.
Eight of the tourists were killed in the final stages of the 12-hour standoff, triggering widespread accusations about police bungling.
In a sign that feelings are running high, the message “Stop hiring Filipino domestic workers!!!” has sprung up on Facebook sites set up by Hong Kong people to mourn the hostage victims.
The hostage drama has whipped up a frenzy of fear and rumours in the 200,000-strong Philippine community in Hong Kong, where most are employed as domestic helpers.
A series of unconfirmed reports of Hong Kong employers trying to vent their anger by sacking or attacking their helpers has been widely circulating among Filipinos.
Fajardo said text messages had been exchanged saying that more than 30 Filipina maids have been sacked following the tragedy, including one whose contract was terminated allegedly because her family name was the same as the gunman’s.
On Friday, Fajardo said she received reports that three maids had been killed, with one of them having acid splashed over her face.
“We don’t know if these cases are true. But we are very scared,” she said.
Another Filipina worker, Julie, said her 60-year-old employer, for whom she has worked for 14 years, did not speak to her after the hostage crisis.
“She watched news on TV about the hijacking. She did not talk to me and did not give me dinner on Wednesday,” she said. “I was worried because she’s not happy and I didn’t understand what the Chinese news was about.”
Many also complained about being berated on public transport in the aftermath of the siege.
The hysteria reflects the vulnerability of Filipino domestic workers, who underpin the city’s economy by taking care of the children and elderly relatives of working parents.
Under the law, a domestic worker must be paid a minimum salary of 3,580 Hong Kong dollars (460 US) and a food allowance of 750 Hong Kong dollars each month. They have to be given one day off every week.
But unlike other foreigners, domestic workers do not have the right to apply for permanent residency after living in Hong Kong for seven years, effectively depriving them of the right to vote in the city.
Under the “two-week rule”, domestic workers must return to their home country if they cannot find a new job within two weeks after their employment contract is terminated.
“They do not want to return home because their salary in Hong Kong is higher than a police officer or a professor in the Philippines,” said Fermi Wong, founder of Unison Hong Kong, a group that helps ethnic minorities.
“And once they return to their country, it would be difficult for them to come back to Hong Kong because they have to pay their employment agencies a lot of money for the arrangement.”
Some domestic workers endure deplorable working conditions just to keep their job. These include being made to serve more than one family — a practice that is now illegal — and to live in uninhabitable quarters.
Wong said there were reports of workers being sexually or physically abused, and in one case, a Hong Kong employer banned his maid from using their washroom at night for “hygiene reasons”.
Cases of maids stealing from their employers or abusing their children behind their backs has raised levels of mutual mistrust.
“Filipino maids have a very low status in our city,” Wong said.
Yet Filipinos remain the largest group of domestic workers in the financial hub, often preferred by employers because of their proficiency in English.
Wong said she hoped Hong Kong people would not allow their anger and grief to transform into long-term hatred against the Filipino race.
“They were vulnerable even before the hostage siege. Now they feel even more vulnerable because they are guilty and ashamed. They feel they are morally responsible for what their government has done.”
Diana Delossandos, a 30-year-old domestic helper, voiced the same hope.
“We are also shocked and angry with the way the Philippine government handled the hostage crisis. The reaction of our president is so disgusting, and our police are so stupid,” she said.
“But we are not supposed to be blamed.”

Hackers attack Philippine government website

A woman browses the offical website of Philippine President Benigno Aquino with a header "You are my Boss" in Manila on August 17. The Philippines on Sunday ordered all government offices to tighten Internet security after its main information website was brought down by hackers.

MANILA (AFP) - – The Philippines on Sunday ordered all government offices to tighten Internet security after its main information website was brought down by hackers.
"We are alerting all government agencies to review and improve security of their websites in view of the hacking of the website this afternoon," presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma said.
"We are adopting best practices to lessen the vulnerability of our websites to hacking and other cyber crimes," Coloma said.
The information agency website was inaccessible for several hours in the afternoon with the words "Hacked by 7z1" appearing if searched on Google.
Coloma did not say whether the hacker attack was related to widespread public anger in Hong Kong over police bungling of a hostage crisis that left eight tourists dead on Monday.
President Benigno Aquino's personal Facebook account, which is linked to his official website, has been flooded by hate messages over the incident, with many coming from disgruntled Hong Kong residents accusing his police force of incompetence.
Aquino censored his Facebook page after Internet users ignored his appeal to stop bashing his government over its handling of the hostage crisis, banning slanderous and defamatory comments and posts.
Coloma said only slanderous postings and profanities were erased from the Facebook page.
"But those expressing their feelings -- even if they are negative -- are not being erased from the website because cyberspace should be democratic and different views are permitted," he said.

Pinoys, Chinese unite in HK rally over hostage tragedy

Filipino and Chinese groups on Sunday were united in a rally and prayer vigil in Hong Kong over the botched hostage rescue on Aug. 23, which resulted in the deaths of eight Hong Kong residents.
Filipino community leaders and Philippine Consulate officials agreed the joint activities have so far been “peaceful", amid fears of a clash among Filipinos and Chinese nationals as emotions continue to run high over the tragedy. Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents marched along the city’s streets past 3 p.m. Sunday to express their anger over how the Philippine government, particularly police authorities, handled the hostage tragedy.
Eman Villanueva, vice chairperson of the Filipino Migrant Workers Union (FMWU) which organized a separate event for Filipinos, said in an interview the “silent protest" of Chinese nationals started at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay and will end at Chater Garden in Hong Kong’s Central District.
Channelnewsasia.com reported that the demonstrators, most of whom wore yellow ribbons and carried white flowers, first observed a three-minute silence before starting the march, which is expected to cover at least three Hong Kong districts.
The Associated Press meanwhile said some 20 Hong Kong legislators led the crowd estimated by organizers at 80,000.
"Today's protest expresses our deep mourning and our strong desire for the Philippine government to take the matter seriously," Jasper Tsang, president of the Legislative Council, told the crowd, according to the AP report.
The protest march was organized by the League of Social Democrats, Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese, Catholic Commission for Labor Affairs, and the Hong Kong Christian Council.
Organizers earlier urged participants not to vent their anger on Filipinos based in the city.
Solidarity program by Pinoy groups The march is expected to end at Chater Garden, where Filipino groups are staging a program to express their sympathy with Hong Kong residents over the loss of lives in Monday’s hostage-taking incident.
“There is no tension among the Filipino and local groups here. The rally has been orderly. In fact, some of the participants are joining us here after the rally for the candlelight vigil," Villanueva said.
The separate program organized by the Filipino community in Hong Kong was a whole-day activity that included an interfaith solidarity prayer, where eight candles were lit in memory of each of the victims.
The program also included reading of messages from Filipino and Chinese group leaders, poetry reading dedicated to the victims, and a candlelight vigil.
Villanueva said some of the Chinese demonstrators went straight to the activity organized by Filipino groups, while at least three Hong Kong legislators have also delivered speeches in the program.
“As with Hong Kong residents, Filipinos here are enraged over how the Philippine police bungled the negotiations. We are also concerned that at this point, the government has yet to release conclusive finding and we fear that this will further fan the anger of Hong Kong residents," Villanueva said.
Apart from the local groups, Filipino organizations which organized the whole-day activity included the FMWU, United Filipinos in Hong Kong-Migrante, Gabriela-HK, and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-HK.
No untoward incidents expected In a separate interview, Vice Consul Val Roque of the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong said the protest rally was “peaceful and orderly. Hong Kong nationals are sensible and fair-minded. We foresee no untoward incident happening during the activities," Roque told GMANews.TV.
He said several Catholic masses were organized in the different districts of Hong Kong, in honor of the Hong Kong tourists who died in the incident. “With majority of the Filipinos being Catholic, this is the best way to express our sympathy for the pain and suffering being felt by Chinese nationals over the tragedy," he stressed.
Roque said the Consulate has sent text messages to Filipino workers in Hong Kong urging them to be “understanding and respectful" of the demonstration by Chinese groups.
“Many Filipinos went to the parks this Sunday and we reminded them that as the march passes by, they should express their solidarity by standing up and offering their prayers.
A release posted on the website of the Consulate urged Filipinos to hear mass and join memorial services for the victims of the tragedy.
“Pinapaalala po namin na lahat tayo ay maging mahinahon at maunawain. Kung maari, sumama sa mga misa, memorial service o vigil para sa mga biktima ng trahedya. Mag-alay po tayo ng dasal para sa kanila at sa kanilang pamilya, lalo na kay Mr. Jason Leung na hanggang ngayon ay malubha ang kalagayan (We are reminding everyone to be calm and understanding. If possible, join in the masses, memorial services, and vigils for the victims of the tragedy. Let’s offer prayers for them and their families, especially for Mr. Jason Leung who is still in a critical condition.)," the release read.
Consulate officials will continue attending various gatherings to express condolences to the families of the victims and to the Hong Kong residents in general, Roque added. —VS, GMANews.TV

72 migrants na patungong US minasaker sa Mexico

FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2010

Abante


SAN FERNANDO, Mexico (AFP) --- Pitumpu’t dalawang katao ang natagpuang minasaker sa isang ran­tsuhan sa northeast Mexico na pinaniniwalaang mga migranteng patungong United States, na ayon sa mga opisyal, ay isa sa pinakanakaka­kilabot na halimbawa ng Mexican violence sa mga nakaraang taon.


Nadiskubre ng mga Marines ang mga bangkay ng 58 kalalakihan at 14 na kababaihan matapos ang pakikipagsagupaan sa mga pinaghihinalaang drug cartel sa lalawigan ng Tamaulipas, na mga hangganan sa US state of Texas, kung saan isang marine at tatlong gunmen ang nasawi, ayon sa military nitong Miyerkules.


Isang sugatan na lalaking Ecuadoran na sinasabing nag-iisang survivor sa masaker at siyang nag-report sa militar kaugnay sa pamamaslang ay isinailalim sa federal protection, ayon sa Navy source sa AFP na tumangging magpakilala.


Sinabi ng lalaki sa mga pulis na ang grupo ay dinukot at pinagpapatay ng mga miyembro ng isang armed group na sangkot sa drug trade at organized crime, at kilala sa pang-e-extort sa mga migrante.


“Preliminary unconfirmed reports suggest (the victims) could have been immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador and Brazil,” pahayag ni Alejandro Poire, Mexican security official, sa news conference.

LIM DINIIN SA HOSTAGE BLOODBATH

Si Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim ang nag-utos na arestuhin si SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, kapatid ni dismissed Sr. Insp. (Capt.) Rolando Mendoza na nang-hostage ng Hong Kong tourists noong Lunes at nagresulta sa pagkasawi ng walong bihag at ng huli.

Ito ang sinabi kahapon ni Manila Police District (MPD) director, Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay sa ginawang pagdinig kahapon sa joint hearing ng Se­nate Committee on Public Order and illegal drugs at committee on justice and human rights.

“It’s Mayor Lim,” pahayag ni Magtibay sa komite matapos tanungin ni Senador Ramon Revilla Jr. kung sino ang nag-utos sa kanya para ipaaresto si SPO2 Mendoza.

Si Sr. Insp. Joselito Binayug ng Asuncion PCP ng Tondo, Manila habang tinatanong kahapon sa hearing ng Senado kaugnay ng magkasunod na insidente ng ‘torture video’ at hostage-taking. Mariing itinanggi ni Binayug na siya ang pulis sa video na kitang-kitang nagpapahirap sa isang nakahubad na arestadong holdup suspect sa loob mismo ng presinto. (Jonas Sulit)

Sinasabing ang pag-aresto kay SPO2 Mendoza ang siyang nagtulak sa hostage taker na barilin ang mga suspek.

Sa utos ni Lim, sinabi ni Magtibay na inatasan niya ang kanyang mga tauhan na dakpin si Gregorio subalit pumalag naman ito sa mga umarestong pulis na nagresulta sa komosyon.

Ang naturang komos­yon ay napanood naman ni Capt. Mendoza ng live sa TV sa loob ng bus na nag-udyok dito para magalit.

Nilinaw naman ni Magtibay na hindi bahagi ng negotiating team si SPO2 Mendoza, ang pinaarestong kapatid.

“Hindi po siya parte ng negotiating team. He was just allowed to escort Superintendent Orlando Yebra, isa sa mga negosyador to deliver the letter to Mendoza,” ani Magtibay, ang ground commander sa negosasyon.

Sa halip na tulungan ang mga negosyador na payapain ang hostage-taker, sinabihan umano ni Gregorio ang kanyang kapatid na “Tol, huwag ka muna pumayag hangga’t ‘di nila binabalik baril ko.”

Samantala, sinegundahan ni SPO2 Mendoza ang pahayag ni Magtibay na si Lim ang nag-utos na arestuhin siya.

Sa panayam ng progra­mang ‘Umagang Kay Ganda’ ng ABS-CBN, isinalaysay ni SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza kung paano siya inaresto at dinala sa police precinct at pinaratangang siya’y “accessory to the crime” sa kabila ng kanyang pagkukumahog na makatulong sa mga negos­yador upang mapakalma ang kalooban ng kanyang hostage-taker na kuya.

“Magkatabi po sina Mayor Lim at General (Rodolfo) Magtibay. Ang nag-utos po sa akin po noon ay si Mayor Lim. Hindi po ako nagsisinungaling, totoo po iyon, ayaw ko pong sabihin ito pero iyon po ang totoo para po sa hustisya. Nakiusap po ako kay Mayor Lim, na for the last time kakausapin ko ang kapatid ko para mapahinto ko ang kanyang kalooban, pero noong mag-closed-door meeting sila, doon na lang sinabi isama na lang ‘yan,” ang umiiyak na pahayag ni SPO2 Mendoza.

“Baka na-rattle siya.”

Ito ang naging reaksyon kahapon ni Mayor Lim matapos ang ginawang pagdiin sa kanya ng sinibak na Manila Police District (MPD) director na si Magtibay sa idinaos na pagdinig ng Senado kahapon.

Ayon sa alkalde nagulat siya nang ito ang inilitanya ni Magtibay, na siya ang nag-utos na arestuhin si SPO2 Mendoza gayong sinabi nito sa ginanap na press conference kamaka­lawa bago siya na-relieve na “I’m taking full responsibi­lity for what happened.”

“Nagulat na lang ako sa sinabi niya. ‘Di ba andito naman kayo kahapon (media) at narinig ninyo ang sinabi niya siguro siya ang dapat ninyong tanungin kung bakit niya sinabi ‘yon,” ayon sa alkalde.

Inamin ng alkalde na pumunta siya sa Quirino Grandstand dakong alas-singko ng hapon hanggang alas-6:30 ng gabi at sinabihan pa niya si Magtibay na tiyakin ang kaligtasan ng mga bihag at gawing mapayapa ang pagtatapos sa negosasyon.

Samantala, aalamin ngayon ng pamunuan ng National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) kung sino ang taong nakausap ni Capt. Mendoza sa cellphone habang nasa kasagsagan ng hostage-taking noong Lunes, ilang oras bago nito paputukan ang hawak na mga turistang bihag.

Ayon kay NCRPO chief Director Leocadio Santiago, purpursigihin nilang alamin kung sino ang nag-udyok sa hostage-taker na buksan ang telebis­yon sa loob ng Hong Thai Travel Bus upang ipakita ang ginawang pag-aresto sa kanyang kapatid na si SPO2 Mendoza.

Manila Hostage Tragedy: Major Media Blunder ?

By Gel Santos Relos



Pumalpak nga ba ang media sa pamamaraan ng coverage ng hostage crisis kung kaya't nauwi ito sa madugong patayan? Narito po ang mga alituntunin sa coverage ng sensitibong pangyayari katulad ng hostage taking crises, prison uprisings, terrorist actions, atbp. na dapat ay muling aralin ng mga tagapaghatid ng balita. How do we learn from these blunders moving forward?





After the tragic hostage drama in Manila last August 23 that left nine people dead, including the gunman/hostage taker former police officer Rolando Mendoza,  Department of Interior and Local Government  partly blamed the media in the handling and coverage of the 12-hour hostage crisis.

Government officials said it was a major mistake of the media (both foreign and local) to give  blow-by-blow account of the hostage crisis. It was reported that Mendoza reportedly became agitated after seeing on TV how his brother was being arrested for allegedly meddling with the negotiations which was monitored by the hostage taker through a TV and AM/FM radio inside the hijacked bus.




While I agree that media should have  adhered to strict sense of responsibility and common sense, the reality remains ---we live in a capitalist society where market forces dictate profit, and profit seems to be the prime motivating force and rationale for the existence of all corporations. So if at least one network is to be left covering the high drama news event, do you really think the other networks would just step out of the scene in the name of social responsibility and let that one single network get all the ratings/audience share?

This reality, of course, does not justify media’s action. This is where, in my opinion, government should exercise its authority as this situation is a serious security issue.  It should have been the call of the police officers to restrict media up to a certain critical  area so that  the newsmen would not end up being the newsmakers in the way they could adversely affect the way operations are executed.




Media, both foreign and local, will always be voracious hunters for hot scoops and headlines, and therefore, people in authority should have  strategically determined what is  be made accessible to media  during such critical hours of negotiation. Safety and security especially in  sensitive operations such as a hostage crisis  take precedence over the public’s right  to blow-by-blow information. The media may be the watchdog but it is the responsibility of the government to govern! And the public has to understand and accept this basic truth and principle.



President Benigno Aquino III  said the government will meet with various media groups to set up guidelines on the coverage of crisis situations following Monday’s deadly hostage-taking. President Aquino said while he understands that the media was only doing its job, there has to be a way to reconcile the public’s right to know and the duty of the State to protect civilians. Aquino likewise defended the police for its alleged failure to control the media during Monday’s hostage crisis, saying they “had already so much on their plate" during the incident.


Moving forward, maybe Secretary Ricky Carandang, head of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning,  can review with the media the “Guidelines for Covering Hostage-Taking Crises, Prison Uprisings, Terrorist Actions” By  Bob Steele, Nelson Poynter Scholar for Journalism Values.

In covering an ongoing crisis situation, journalists are advised to:

• Always assume that the hostage taker, gunman, or terrorist has access to the reporting.

• Avoid describing with words or showing with still photography and video any information that could divulge the tactics or positions of SWAT team members.

• Fight the urge to become a player in any standoff, hostage situation, or terrorist incident. Journalists should become personally involved only as a last resort and with the explicit approval of top news management and the consultation of trained hostage negotiators on the scene.

• Be forthright with viewers, listeners, or readers about why certain information is being withheld if security reasons are involved.

• Seriously weigh the benefits to the public of what information might be given out versus what potential harm that information might cause. This is especially important in live reporting of an ongoing situation.

• Strongly resist the temptation to telephone a gunman or hostage taker. Journalists generally are not trained in negotiation techniques, and one wrong question or inappropriate word could jeopardize someone's life. Furthermore, just calling in could tie up phone lines or otherwise complicate communication efforts of the negotiators.

• Notify authorities immediately if a hostage taker or terrorist calls the newsroom. Also, have a plan ready for how to respond.

• Challenge any gut reaction to "go live" from the scene of a hostage-taking crisis, unless there are strong journalistic reasons for a live, on-the-scene report. Things can go wrong very quickly in a live report, endangering lives or damaging negotiations. Furthermore, ask if the value of a live, on-the-scene report is really justifiable compared to the harm that could occur.

• Give no information, factual or speculative, about a hostage taker's mental condition, state of mind, or reasons for actions while a standoff is in progress. The value of such information to the audience is limited, and the possibility of such characterizations exacerbating an already dangerous situation are quite real.

• Give no analyses or comments on a hostage taker's or terrorist's demands. As bizarre or ridiculous (or even legitimate) as such demands may be, it is important that negotiators take all demands seriously.

• Keep news helicopters out of the area where the standoff is happening, as their  noise can create communications problems for negotiators and their presence could scare a gunman to deadly action.

• Do not report information obtained from police scanners. If law enforcement  personnel and negotiators are compromised in their communications, their attempts to resolve a crisis are greatly complicated.

• Be very cautious in any reporting on the medical condition of hostages until after a crisis is concluded. Also, be cautious when interviewing hostages or released hostages while a crisis continues.

• Exercise care when interviewing family members or friends of those involved in standoff situations. Make sure the interview legitimately advances the story for the public and is not simply conducted for the shock value of the emotions conveyed or as a conduit for the interviewee to transmit messages to specific individuals.

• Go beyond the basic story of the hostage taking or standoff to report on the larger issues behind the story, be it the how and why of what happened, reports on the preparation and execution of the SWAT team, or the issues related to the incident.

Looks like media may have failed to put into practice many of aspects of  of this "protocol". But then again, this problem is systemic. This is just the media blunder part of the equation. Now the government has a lot of serious work to do in training the SWAT and all other  units of the law enforcement arm of the government on how to effectively and strategically handle and resolve crisis situation such as this hostage taking. And how about us, the consumers of the media and the citizens of our country---what do we need to work on from our end?

Jackie Chan tweets about Quirino Grandstand hostage incident

TJ DIMACALI, GMANews

08/25/2010 | 11:49 AM

Action movie superstar Jackie Chan provided a voice of reason and extended a hand of friendship to Filipinos over the recent hostage crisis via his verified Twitter account, @EyeOfJackieChan.

In a magnanimous gesture, Jackie Chan extended a hand of friendship to Filipinos online. - GMANews.TV

Jackie Chan explained that he had just arrived in Hong Kong from South Korea and was shocked to learn of the tragic hostage crisis at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila last August 23 that left eight tourists from Hong Kong dead.

"this kind of things always happen around the world. It happen to hk's people, the whole hk is talking about it. Its really sad," the movie star said at around 11:40am (Philippine Time) on August 25, 2010.

"If they killed the guy sooner, they will say why not negotiate first? If they negotiate first, they ask why not kill the guy sooner? So sad," he added.

Action movie star Jackie Chan was a voice of reason and understanding over the tragic Quirino Grandstand hostage crisis last August 23. - GMANews.TV

In a magnanimous gesture, Jackie Chan extended a hand of friendship to Filipinos:

"HK is a nation built by a lot of different people..don't worry! We do not hate!" he Tweeted.

"Humans should be united and not kill or hate each other," he also exhorted. -

‘We’re not all like Mendoza’

By Janie Octia – August 24th, 2010

 

By Janie Octia, Yahoo! Southeast Asia
In an attempt to inform the world of the good things about Philippines following Monday’s hostage crisis, 15-year-old Reigno Jose Dilao writes a letter to the world.
Dilao, a 4th year student of Samar National High School, posted the letter at CNN’s iReport site Monday at around 10:00 P.M. after the hostage crisis ended leaving at least 10 people dead, including the gunman.
In a phone interview with Yahoo! Southeast Asia, Dilao says he was disappointed with yesterday’s turn of events.
“Sana pinag-isipan ni Mendoza yung mga ginawa nya [Mendoza should have thought twice about his actions],” Dilao said.
He believes that this incident will take its toll on the country’s tourism.
“Ang hindi magandang epekto, sa turismo natin. Ang mga turista, iniisip nila lahat, lalo na ang safety [This will have a bad effect on our tourism. Tourists think about safety],” says Dilao.
Dilao also criticized the authorities who handled the crisis.
“Parang hindi pinag-isipan ng mga police officers yung strategy [It looked like the police officers didn't think about their strategy],” Dilao said.
Dilao, a campus journalist for three years, dreams of being a journalist.
While some criticized members of the media for yesterday’s reportage, Dilao said media is just doing its job.
In his letter, Dilao defends the Filipino people and describes them as “loving and good-hearted people.”
Dilao says the Philippines is a nation of strong, remarkable and hospitable people.
As of this writing, his letter has been viewed 269 times and shared 24 times.
Dilao also expressed his apologies in the letter but also asked the world not to judge the country for this incident.
“Sana malaman ng mundo kung ano ang Pilipino, hindi lahat ng tao katulad ni Mendoza [I hope the world will know who the Filipinos are and that we're not all like Mendoza],” ends Dilao.
Here’s a copy of the letter posted on CNN iReport with Reigno Jose Dilao’s permission
As you are reading this letter, I bet that you have seen/heard about what happened earlier in our country.
Tourists were hostages of a policeman here, Rolando Mendoza. After a few hours of the horrible crime, some of the victims were dead including the hostage-taker.
I wrote this letter not just to apologize but also to let everyone know that we Filipinos are not all like Mendoza. We are loving and good-hearted people.
For so many years, our country has been standing tall and surpassing every dilemma; be it small or big. Years ago (back when I wasn’t born yet), you have watched us fight for what we think is right. We fought for the democracy of our nation.. The EDSA revolution. But that’s just one out of many.
Second. We Filipinos have been serving other countries for our families and we treat you as our own as well. With all due respect, I thank you all for giving us the trust through the years. For helping us to become what we are now.
The Philippines is more than just a group of islands. We are a nation of strong and remarkable people. A country of beauty and love known to be hospitable and well-valued. I humbly apologize for what happened tonight. No one in this world would want something like that to happen for life should be valued.
I politely ask the attention of the world. Please do not judge and mistreat us just because of what happened tonight. I have been searching the net and found terrible things. Hong Kong advices to avoid travels here, China and HK bans Filipinos and that Philippines is the worst place to go.
I can’t blame you for what you have decided but I hope that you could understand. Our country is now in a sea of problems. And I know for sure that we helped you in a way or another. Let peace and understanding reign this time.
I know that this letter will just be trash but I wish that you would understand. On behalf of the Philippine population.. WE ARE SORRY.
As a song puts it…

And I believe that in my life I will see an end to hopelessness, giving-up and suffering. And we all stand together this one time then no one will get left behind. Stand up for life. STAND UP FOR LOVE

Sincerely yours,
Reigno Jose Dilao



JOIN the signature campaign online click here

Filipinos outraged, angry over police rescue

By Erwin Oliva – August 24th, 2010

 

Erwin Oliva, Yahoo! Southeast Asia

After Monday’s hostage crisis, the public is now clamoring for some explanation.
Some blamed the police for their lack of experience and slow reaction to the events that unfolded over live television. At least 10 Chinese nationals were killed after the day-long hostage crisis ended in a bloodbath.
A Yahoo! Southeast Asia user named Sebs did not mince words. “I think the media should be held liable for what they did.”
User backseatdriver70, added, “Maybe I have been watching too many Hollywood movies, but first thing they should have done is to keep the media out (especially since you know how the police would surely screw this up).”
“Second thing is give in to his [hostage taker's] demands. It’s only his pension and his job, not $5 mil (like what the Abu’s get). After getting all the hostages out, you can always charge him again with hostage taking,” the user added.
User tweetums said that the media should now realize what their role should be.
“They did not contribute any to help ease the situation. Obviously their reports only agitated the hostage-taker and worse, even fed the the hostage-taker the positions being taken by the SWAT/police,” the user added.
The blame also fell on the police.
User pbacareza suggested the need to review the government’s operating procedures.
“It’s time to carefully review the government’s standards and policies regarding an assault in a hostage crisis,” the user said.
User muffin0girl0power, also had this to say to the President: “Mr. President, if you are listening, the only way to rectify the situation is to remove or relieve all the high ranking policemen or leaders or whatever you call them, involved in this hostage situation from their posts and RE-TRAIN all their subordinates.”
In a late Monday press conference, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III sent his condolences to the families of those who were killed in the hostage crisis.
User macros27 stressed that the country should learn from this recent incident. “A lot of bloody hostage incidents have happened in our country in the past yet we never learned from any of those, haaaay.”
User pongmag also expressed his outraged and disappoinment.
“I cannot help as a Filipino be disgusted by how our police handled the situation, I saw so many lapses in our authorities, The one whose in charge should be relieve of his position because the Filipino SWAT stormed the bus unprepared.”
Some Filipino users like robee16 now fear how his fellowmen will be treated after Monday’s bloodbath.
“What’s bothering me now is they might not treat me right when they realize that I’m a Filipino. Or, I’m worried for the Filipinos working there (in HK). I’m kinda paranoid that their employers might not treat them right as well.”
Filipino user 4bandong was more straightforward.
“If Noynoy justified his decision on sacking Frisco Nilo of PAGASA, then heads should as well roll following this poorly handled incident. Gen. Magtibay and DILG Sec. Rebredo should immediately resign. Noynoy should even admit full responsibility as our name had already been badly blemished worldwide. Noynoy only showed how poor his leadership style is. Puro pa cute kasi talaga,” the user said.

Philippine police admit blunders in deadly hostage ordeal

By Yahoo! Southeast Asia Editors – August 24th, 2010

 

By Karl Malakunas
Agence France Presse
MANILA — Philippine police conceded Tuesday they made blunders in ending a bus hijacking as outrage grew over the bloody assault played out on live television that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead.
Commandos fired dozens of bullets into the bus and smashed its windows with sledgehammers as they tried to storm it, but were then forced to wait outside helplessly for over an hour as the hijacker used his captives as human shields.
The ordeal in Manila’s tourist district on Monday finally ended when the police fired tear gas into the bus and a sniper shot the gunman in the head, but by that time eight of the tourists on board had been killed.
Amid a building storm of criticism from Hong Kong’s government and people around the world who watched the shoot-out live on television, Manila police commander Leocadio Santiago admitted mistakes had been made.
“We saw some obvious shortcomings in terms of capability and tactics used, or the procedure employed and we are now going to investigate this,” Santiago said on local television.
He and President Benigno Aquino promised to probe all aspects of the 12-hour ordeal, which began when a disgruntled sacked policeman armed with an M-16 assault rifle hijacked a bus carrying 25 people, mostly Hong Kong tourists.
Aquino told a pre-dawn press conference that the tragedy highlighted many flaws in the ability of Philippine security forces to handle hostage situations.
“There are a lot of things (that) resulted in a tragedy. Obviously we should be improving,” said Aquino, who took office less than two months ago.
One of the problems he emphasised was the way the crisis played out through the media, with the gunman being allowed to speak on radio and watch events live on the bus’s television, giving him insights into police actions.
But Aquino nevertheless insisted waiting more than 10 hours before storming the bus was the right course of action, because police believed until that point they could convince the gunman to stand down.
However relatives of the victims as well as the Hong Kong government and media expressed anger over the bloody end to the stand off.
“The way it is handled — particularly the outcome — is very disappointing,” Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang told reporters.
The Chinese embassy in Manila on Tuesday urged the Philippines to take concrete measures to protect Chinese citizens while Hong Kong newspapers bemoaned missed opportunities to end the siege much earlier.
“A large group of police failed to get into the bus after surrounding the vehicle for nearly half an hour,” the Hong Kong Economic Journal said.
“Their appalling professional standards, and the lack of strategic planning, made observers both angry and sad. This tragedy could have been avoided.”
One of the survivors, who identified herself as Mrs Leung, said at the scene after she scrambled out of the bus that police should not have waited so long before taking action.
“There were so many people on the bus — no one came to our rescue. Why?” said Mrs Leung.
Hong Kong media said Mrs Leung’s husband had died in a hail of bullets as he tried to protect his wife. The couple’s three children aged 14, 18 and 21 were also on the bus and remained unaccounted for, according to the reports.
The Hong Kong government organised two chartered flights to take relatives of the hostages, as well as psychologists, doctors and social workers, to Manila.
Flags flew at half mast and the Hong Kong stock exchange held a minute’s silence as the shocked territory mourned the victims.
The gunman, former senior inspector Rolando Mendoza, hijacked the bus in a crazed attempt to clear his name from charges of extortion that led to him being discharged from the police force in 2008.
Mendoza, 55, had demanded that the ombudsman re-open an investigation into his case, which centred on accusations he tried to extort money from a man who was accused of drug trafficking.
Before being discharged, Mendoza was regarded as a model officer, once being named by his superiors as among the top 10 policemen in the country.
Photo by NPPA

At least nine killed in hostage crisis

By Yahoo! Southeast Asia Editors

 

By Mynardo Macaraig, Agence France Presse
and  Yahoo! Southeast Asia
(UPDATE 23) Philippine security forces stormed a bus full of Hong Kong tourists on Monday to end a dramatic hostage crisis that unfolded live on global television, leaving at least nine people and the gunman dead, reports indicate.
Hong Kong eventually issued its top-level black travel alert for the Philippines on Monday after Hong Kong tourists were killed in Manila in a bus hijack by an armed ex-policeman.
The Hong Kong government said it was “very disappointed” about the outcome of a dramatic hostage siege.
The day-long ordeal began when a disgruntled ex-policeman armed with an M-16 assault rifle hijacked the bus in Manila’s tourist district in a desperate bid to get his job back.

Negotiations broke down after nightfall when the gunman, a highly decorated former senior police inspector identified as Rolando Mendoza, began shooting the passengers, and commandos stormed the bus.
Police said Mendoza was shot dead by a sniper after he used his captives as “human shields” in the final moments of the 12-hour standoff.
“I shot two Chinese. I will finish them all if they do not stop,” Mendoza told a local radio station as the police assault was about to get underway.
“I can see a lot of SWAT (special weapons and tactics police) coming in. I know they will kill me. They should all leave because anytime I will do the same here.”
Ten of the Hong Kong tourists were confirmed killed, according to doctors at hospitals in Manila and the Hong Kong government, although exactly how they died was not immediately clear.
Seven tourists, including children, and two Filipinos were freed at various times throughout the day from the bus parked at Rizal Park, a popular tourist destination just a few blocks from police headquarters.
The Filipino bus driver jumped out of a window and escaped moments before police stormed the vehicle, with his escape and the rest of the crisis broadcast live on television.
Another four hostages were seen scrambling out of the bus after the siege ended, but the fate of the remaining Hong Kong tourists originally on board the bus remained unknown late on Monday.
The Hong Kong government issued its top-level black travel alert for the Philippines after the crisis ended, but said it was sending in two charter planes to Manila for the families of the hostages.
Police were unable to get inside the bus for more than an hour after negotiations broke down and they decided to storm it.
They encircled the bus, smashed its windows and fired at it, but Mendoza held them off by shooting back.
The crisis eventually ended when police threw tear gas inside the bus, and fired again.
“He used the tourists as human shields. But he panicked and retreated to the front of the bus. He was then met with a valley of gunfire,” the assault team’s leader, Superintendent Nelson Yabut told reporters afterwards.
“One of our snipers managed to shoot him in the head.”
Mendoza, 55, was honoured by police chiefs in 1986 as one of the top 10 officers in the country.
But he was discharged in 2008 for his alleged involvement in drug-related crimes and extortion, and he hijacked the bus in a desperate bid to clear his name, according to police.
“He wants to be reinstated in the service,” Manila district police chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay said early in the day.
Joseph Tung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, said the tourists on the bus were aged between four and 72.
They were on a three-day tour with Hong Thai Travel and were scheduled to return to Hong Kong late Monday.
“A serious kidnap incident happened in the Philippines. Hong Kong residents should avoid all travel to the country,” a Hong Kong government spokesman said in a statement.
“Those who are already there should attend to their personal safety and exercise caution.”
Monday’s bus hijack recalled a similar hostage-taking in 2007, when a troubled civil engineer armed with a grenade took over a bus and held 30 children but freed them after a 10-hour standoff with police.
The 2007 drama took place near Manila city hall, just off Rizal Park.
Monday’s tragedy also added to a fast-growing number of attacks of foreigners in the Philippines.
Gunmen shot dead a South Korean man in a separate attack on Monday morning in another section of Manila. Police said the incidents were not related.
Last month, an American, a South African, a Briton and their Filipina partners were killed in spate of murder-robberies in Angeles City north of Manila. The alleged killer was arrested.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Voltaire Domingo, Mike Alquinto, Jerome Ascano/NPPA Images

Bb Pilipinas titlist Melody Gersbach, 2 others die in Camsur road

By Rey M. Nasol
Inquirer Southern Luzon

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—(UPDATE 2) Binibining Pilipinas International 2009 Melody Gersbach, 24, died on the spot late Saturday morning when the car she was riding in collided head-on with a passenger bus, an Army official said.
Two other persons—the driver and couturier of the beauty titlist—also died in the accident, which occurred at 11:45 a.m., said Major Harold Cabunoc, public information officer of the 9th Infantry Division based in Pili, Camarines Sur, who was quoting from initial police reports.
“The accident occurred in Barangay Pawili in Bula, Camarines Sur,” said Cabunoc in a text message.
Gersbach and her companions were on board a Toyota Innova en route to Naga City when it collided with a Guevarra Bus Line driven by Wilson Pontillas.
The bus driver voluntarily surrendered to police, said Cabunoc.
Radio anchor Pio Fernandez of DZGB in Legazpi City confirmed the report at around 3 p.m. in an interview with Peachy Lim, a staff member of a restaurant owned by Gersbach's family in Legazpi City.
The two other persons confirmed dead were identified as Dodong Ramos, the driver, and Alden Orense, couturier of the beauty titlist.
A fourth victim identified as Ronald Lita survived the accident and was rushed to the Bicol Medical Center for treatment.
Police said the bus tried to avoid a tricycle when it collided with the Toyota Innova.
A resident of Barangay Culliat in Daraga town in Albay, Gersbach, who was also Ms Bicolandia 2009, left the house at around 9 a.m. to attend a pre-pageant event in connection with the coming celebration of the Peñafrancia Festival in Naga City next month.
Ricky Gonzales, brother of Ramoning, the owner of the Innova van, said the vehicle was a total wreck.

Indigenous peoples voice agenda to P.Noy

By Caroline J. Howard, ANC

MANILA, Philippines - Indigenous peoples are urging the Aquino administration to put an end to the marginalization of indigenous communities.
Thirteen years after the passage of the law protecting the rights of indigenous peoples (IPs) in the Philippines, many of them remain mired in poverty, lacking access to basic health and education. They lament the loss of their ancestral lands, the passing of their traditional practices, and how some of them have fallen victim to extra-judicial killings.
Last Monday, around 200 IP representatives marked Indigenous Peoples' Day.
In an interview with ANC's The Rundown, Jill Cariño, convenor of the Philippine Task Force for Indigenous Peoples Rights, says they came up with an agenda which they want the Aquino administration to address.
The battle over ancestral land  
Foremost on the list: the rights of IPs to their ancestral land.
Cariño admits such goals remain unmet despite the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA) and the application for certificate of ancestral land and ancestral domain titles.
"Many have been complaining that 13 years after the IP Rights Act was passed, they still don't have proof they have legal rights to the land, despite using the land since time immemorial as basis for their survival," Cariño notes.
Cariño is a fourth generation descendant of Ibaloi Chieftain Mateo Cariño, who fought for land ownership during the American Period. Her great grandfather filed a case for the recognition of their right to land, which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. As a result, they were able to acquire the doctrine of native title, which recognizes that they owned the land before the colonizers came.
Since then, she notes, even indigenous Indians have come to use the doctrine, while other indigenous people in Australia have used their case as precedent for the government to recognize the land as private property and not belonging to the colonizers.
But, Cariño laments, the effort has not gone far on the home front.
"The case of our family was won in 1909, but until today, the land that is the subject of the case has not been given to our family."
Cariño notes a seeming conflict between the concepts of indigenous people on land and natural resources as something passed on through generations, and how the state uses titles to determine land ownership.
In the Cordillera region alone, Cariño says, much of their ancestral land has been taken over by private, government or business ventures.
"The total area of the Cordillera region is 1.8 million hectares. As of now, mining companies have filed claims for over 1.2 million hectares, which is more than 60% of the total land area of the region. This is the ancestral land of the Igorots. This is just an indication of how much of the land is being taken over."
Pursuing peace 
Cariño says peace talks is another point in their agenda, adding the IPs who were not recognized as an official party in the talks, hoped to have an appropriate mechanism through which they could be heard after the botched Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) during the Arroyo administration. The MOA-AD held up the peace agreement.
"The IPs in Mindanao or Lumads would want to be heard in the GRP-MILF [Government of the Republic of the Philippines-Moro Islamic Liberation Front] peace talks because the area that would be included in the MOA-AD covers ancestral domains of indigenous peoples," she says.
"They are not an official party, so while they may have treaties in indigenous communities and are recognized in the Bangsamoro area, this has not been officially recognized in the talks."
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says there are over 14 million to 17 million IPs in the country, majority of whom live in the southern Philippines where, the IPs say, they do not have sufficient participation in peace talks.
THE NCIP role 
Cariño laments the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), the government agency tasked to implement and regulate the law of IP rights under the Office of the President, falls short of meeting its mandate.
"Since the NCIP was set up, it seems it does not work for the interest of IPs as it is mandated to do. Rather, experience has shown, the NCIP has facilitated the encroachment of mining companies or other private interests into the indigenous territories."

Krista 2 months pregnant; weds her childhood friend

By SHIRLEY MATIAS-PIZARRO

August 15, 2010

 

Krista Ranillo, the baby of Mat Ranillo III is now a bride.

 

 

Controversial actress Krista Ranillo finally realized her dream of walking down the aisle in the arms of the man she loves.
Last Aug. 8, elaborate wedding ceremonies in Jewish fashion happened at the Hotel Maya in Long Beach, California for Krista, the radiant bride, and her groom, young businessman Nino Lim. They exchanged their most cherished vows in the presence of their most trusted friends and family members.
Everyone concurred how beautiful and solemn the wedding was, with the guests all sharing in the joy that the couple feels about starting a new life together as husband and wife. Krista was radiant in a gown designed for her by her cousin David Tupaz.
Krista was given away by her father, actor Mat Ranillo III, whom everybody speculated was at odds with the couple. Mat’s presence, along with his wife Lynda during the occasion, dispelled all rumors to this effect and instead showed how closely-knit their family truly is.
Last minute preparations for the wedding prevented most of the couple’s guests from Manila from coming over to witness the event. The original plan was for a big church wedding within the year where all of Nino’s and Krista’s friends and family from home will be invited.
Last Saturday morning, Krista and Nino called us from Los Angeles with happy news. They told us that indeed, Krista is expecting their first child as she was a few weeks delayed already. By now Krista is close to two months in the family way. Needless to say, the planned big church wedding will have to take the back pew, until after the baby is born.
Unknown to a lot of people, Krista and Nino have been friends since they were younger. “Our families know each other,” 33-year-old Nino told us. “We met again at a party here and we started talking again,” the soft-spoken Nino added.
Needless to say, the two hit it off right back and one thing led to another, and they realized that they were actually falling in love. Now, the lovebirds are married and they face their future bright-eyed and dreamy.
Nino is a private person, a hardworking businessman who shuns the limelight. “He would rather just work from the sidelights and go unnoticed. He truly loves Krista and Krista is madly in love with him, too. We’re really very happy that the two of them found each other,” said now LA-based Jessica Rodriguez Bunevacz, one of the couple’s closest friends who stood as Krista’s matron of honor at the wedding.

Immigration official wants stricter rules on foreigners

By Yahoo! Southeast Asia Editors – August 13th, 2010

 

By KC Santos, loQal.ph
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – To further monitor foreigners entering the Philippines, a more stringent entry process should be implemented by the country’s immigration bureau.
Bureau of Immigration legal chief Atty. Bienvenido Chy said this will allow the bureau to keep track of foreigners, particularly those that are overstaying.
“Once inside the airport, foreigners should fill-up the arrival cards, complete with their address so we can determine their length of stay in the country and easily track them,” he said.
One popular way of entering the country is through student visas. Section 9 of the Philippine Immigration law says a student visa may be granted to a foreigner who wishes to pursue his or her studies in the country through the endorsement of the Department of Education and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
But Chy revealed that there have been reports that some foreign visitors have been using student visas to enter the country and operate illegal business establishments instead of going to schools.
“Bureau directors are now designated to different areas where they officiate the conducting of census to determine the number of overstaying foreigners,” Chy said.
Chy said the computerization of the bureau is also helping officials track and summon overstaying immigrants based on the information they wrote on the arrival cards.
Overstaying immigrants will be subject to deportation if they are a “no-show” after being “invited.”
Chy, meanwhile, reported that there has been a decrease in the number of foreign detainees in the country from 173 cases to 68 cases.
The official added that once the necessary clearances are forwarded to the bureau regarding pending cases, the foreign detainees will all be deported.
“We now coordinate with their respective embassies so they can shoulder the costs of taking back the detainees to their respective countries,” Chy said.
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loQal.ph is a website owned and operated by Filquest Media Concepts, Inc. It works under the principle of giving voice to the voiceless, empowering Filipinos and uplifting the image of the Philippines by highlighting its unique culture. To do this, the loQal.ph team produces stories, video, photos and other multimedia content types to inspire and celebrate Filipino achievements, ideas, products and places.