Sad Monday

I couldn’t care less when I saw tweets about the hostage-taking at around noon. 3 p.m. came and words about the hostage-taker’s “deadlock” became more evident on the Internet. Still, I didn’t care much about it. I thought it was just another hostage-taking drama, especially when news of hostages being released surfaced. When I tuned in to a prime time news program that night, I learned that it hadn’t been resolved yet and that tension grew as the brother of the hostage-taker was being arrested. Gun shots were fired. I cared.

I intently watched every minute of ABS-CBN’s live coverage of the crisis. I saw how they showed the relatives of Rolando Mendoza, the former police turned hostage-taker, being dragged to arrest his brother. I saw close-up shots of the bus driver trying to break free his shackled hand. I saw how the bus driver miraculously escaped from the bus and his shocking statement: patay na lahat (ng hostages). I saw the police slowly walking toward the bus. I saw the police breaking the glasses. I saw shots being fired at and by the police. I saw Mendoza’s dead body hanging on the bus door. I saw hostages—alive, unconscious, and dead—being taken out of the bus.

But as I was seeing what seem to be like an action movie, I thought why hadn’t the government declared a news blackout? It is true that media has a right or freedom from prior restraint or censorship as stated in the constitution. But at times of war or crisis like what the world witnessed on Monday, the government has the right to order a news blackout.

Maria Ressa, ABS-CBN VP for News and Current Affairs, says that one network cannot initiate a news blackout. The government should order media networks. But there was no order so they continued their live coverage of the hostage-taking crisis without disobeying the rules set by the police.

However, ABS-CBN like other media networks, should have considered that Mendoza could access the news through the radio and television inside the bus. Such access alerts him of the plans by the police and the happenings around the area. Mendoza saw the arrest of his brother which agitated him. He also saw the positions and actions of the police who were trying to capture or kill him. Because of this, the media networks should have shown a delayed coverage to give Mendoza the element of surprise.

The police on the other hand also showed mistakes in handling the situation. First, the police showed lacking in training and experience in crises like this. If they were more careful and brave, they could have saved all the hostages. They also failed in controlling the crowd which led to a by-stander getting shot.

The government should have acted quickly. President Noynoy Aquino should have declared a news blackout or a delay in the coverage instead of reasoning that media will get back at him if he did such. Which is more important, saving the lives of the hostages or saving himself from the media? I am not calling for his impeachment. However, I am calling for his quick and intelligent decisions in crises like this. This marked his first failure in handling a crisis. Also, he should just accept the criticisms of the people on his Facebook account instead of disabling them from doing so. After all, he is all about social media.

To the Filipinos who watched the hostage-taking drama in Quirino Grandstand, I hope you will all realize that you shouldn’t be there. You are not only putting your lives in danger but also threaten the control and action of the police.

To the Chinese-Hong Kong nationals, I am deeply sorry for the tragic result of the hostage-taking. But please bear in mind not every Filipino would want such event to end the way it did. Please also consider that not every Filipino will harm you.

To the Filipinos who insensitively had their photos taken by the bus, I hope you receive wisdom to be able to think what is right from wrong, good from bad. Please respect. And to those who are ashamed for being a Filipino, shame on you.

The government, media, and police all did mistakes in the recent hostage-taking crisis. I hope this will teach them how to improve our system as a whole. I also hope this will teach everyone to respect life, and be responsible of every action.