A hostage drama at Quirino Grand Stand

There have been recent gunshots again after the swat team tried to get in the bus. They are still clueless how to settle the ongoing crisis in the grandstand. The cops assume that the hostage taker has some companions inside other than the hostages. Why did they not have a major hostage negotiator that the situation have escalated to this situation right now?

mspitot, No offense, but I have to say that your country's SWAT team is a joke. And, I sincerely hope that this is not the only SWAT team you have in your country. I am also shocked that your authorities did not even seem to have AT (Anti Terrorist) teams or even use them when there is evidently a need to. SWAT can only handle certain intricate situations but a hijack with an armed ex-policeman really is equivalent to that of a terrorist short of a strapped C4 explosive on his body to take down the whole bus with the special force team. The special tactical teams just behaved like Hollywood monkeys who think 2 sledgehammers is enough to breach the coach bus. I just cannot imagine how on earth the officer in charge and the team's leader could be so naive. Also, if you have read the news on CNN, a question was being raised about the whole Philippines having ONLY 2 sledgehammers in the siege. Also, these team members are obviously country bumpkins who do not know how to break tampered glass windows, windscreens, open or break the coach bus's main door and emergency exit door. They took 1 hour to breach (reported)!! In all fairness, the tactical team is a joke and pathetic look at the video below. I am sure you will agree with me that you had minnows or rather some poor kids fumbling with a new toy. Video feed: http://video.sina.com.cn/p/p/news/c/v/2010-08-24/084561086851.html

I only saw the aftermath. Got home around 9pm and the whole thing went down at 8:40pm while I was stuck in traffic. We were listening to the radio about it though and I could not believe that such a simple demand escalated to killing. This would have a lot of impact on our tourism industry. To think that Chinese nationals are one of the largest contingents of tourists in the country.

I was in Fitness First of ABS CBN were a lot of people are concentrating on screen. I was really shocked that it was LIVE until the news was aired up to 9:00 PM which was supposed to be it is already Agua Bendita. Now I am wondering for the reason why there was hostage at the bus.

yeah i saw the breaking news a while ago. how could he do that? he is a police officer with medals of honor. does he think that he will be reinstated when after what he did? how could be attract tourist if they can see what might happen to them? either held hostage, kidnapped or robbed.

It was a tragic event and soils memories of my nights spent at Luneta Park. Without sounding too critical and shifting the focus from where it should be i.e. on the victims, which deserve the best that foreign and domestic officials can provide, the response was flawed in at least two critical ways. 1. Meet force with sufficient force to eliminate the threat and let the chips fall where they may. 2. Control the "crime scene" at all costs and not let anyone within a reasonable cordon of the situation; it was a crime that so many were in harms way for so much of this tragic situation. What if the bus had a bomb? as always, imho. Eric

Yeah its a shame.. It's really traumatic for the hostages they went to tae a vacation and this is what they get from a police officer. Tsk Tsk tsk.. This is really one of country's sad history maker.