Armed, and Dangerous
The danger existing not in the fact that he was armed with an M-16 assault rifle, necessarily, but that he was armed with dementia. His reasonable sensibilities, supposing he was, at one time in the not-too-distant past, submerged under his intoxicated state of delusional dementia. Dressed in combat pants, he meant business. His business being to influence the authorities that he was still the man he once was, a highly respected and decorated Philippine police officer.
A high-ranking superintendent, in fact, of the Manila police force. His brother, also a police officer, but yet in possession of rationality, did his best to talk this man out of his dilemma he had imposed upon himself and a busload of unfortunates. Imposing his personal grievance on a tourism busload of people from Hong Kong, terrifying them for over ten hours, while they awaited rescue.
He obviously felt it was reasonable to assume that by causing this kind of furor, drawing attention to his misery over having lost his job, it would be reinstated. And he saluted as a man of heroic principles.
His resolute determination to hold dozens of helpless tourists as a living shield until the authorities would agree that he was indeed deserving of continuing to hold the public trust, spurring him to demonstrate just how valuable a member of the police force he was. The Hong Kong Travel Industry Council will, understandably, feel it is the best interests of their nationals to caution them henceforth to avoid the Philippines.
The big question looming large here is why the authorities were so fecklessly unimaginative as to encircle the bus, threatening the safety of the passengers, and instilling a further sense of being ill done by in this man, instead of promising him whatever he wanted. By speaking calmly and confidently to the man, in his delusional state he might well have been convinced that he was still held in high regard, and his latest stunt was admirable, for which he would be rewarded by his job reinstated and why not a raise in salary as well?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Instead, hoping that the man, Rolando Mendoza, would relent, have compassion on his living shields, and permit them to leave the bus, to safety. Or so they said, since he had at one point permitted seven of the tourists, including children and two Filipinos to leave at various times. The driver of the bus, quite unlike the captain of a ship, abandoned his post, seeking his personal safety before the police decided to storm the vehicle.
In the final analysis, it will likely be determined that the strategy employed by the police tactical squad left much to be desired. We've seen this happen before, even in Canada, when a demented passenger of a Greyhound bus travelling from Alberta to Manitoba slit the throat of a young man, Tim McLean. And while horrified bus passengers watched from the outside of the bus then encircled by police who did nothing for hours to stop Vince Weiguang Li from cannibalizing his victim.
The former Phillippine police officer, Rolando Mendoza, who was accused of extortion and drug-related crimes, was formerly considered one of the country's top-performing police officers. His performance on this occasion was quite outstanding, resulting in the deaths of eight tourists, while an additional seven were hospitalized with injuries.
No kudos to the authorities.
A high-ranking superintendent, in fact, of the Manila police force. His brother, also a police officer, but yet in possession of rationality, did his best to talk this man out of his dilemma he had imposed upon himself and a busload of unfortunates. Imposing his personal grievance on a tourism busload of people from Hong Kong, terrifying them for over ten hours, while they awaited rescue.
He obviously felt it was reasonable to assume that by causing this kind of furor, drawing attention to his misery over having lost his job, it would be reinstated. And he saluted as a man of heroic principles.
His resolute determination to hold dozens of helpless tourists as a living shield until the authorities would agree that he was indeed deserving of continuing to hold the public trust, spurring him to demonstrate just how valuable a member of the police force he was. The Hong Kong Travel Industry Council will, understandably, feel it is the best interests of their nationals to caution them henceforth to avoid the Philippines.
The big question looming large here is why the authorities were so fecklessly unimaginative as to encircle the bus, threatening the safety of the passengers, and instilling a further sense of being ill done by in this man, instead of promising him whatever he wanted. By speaking calmly and confidently to the man, in his delusional state he might well have been convinced that he was still held in high regard, and his latest stunt was admirable, for which he would be rewarded by his job reinstated and why not a raise in salary as well?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Instead, hoping that the man, Rolando Mendoza, would relent, have compassion on his living shields, and permit them to leave the bus, to safety. Or so they said, since he had at one point permitted seven of the tourists, including children and two Filipinos to leave at various times. The driver of the bus, quite unlike the captain of a ship, abandoned his post, seeking his personal safety before the police decided to storm the vehicle.
In the final analysis, it will likely be determined that the strategy employed by the police tactical squad left much to be desired. We've seen this happen before, even in Canada, when a demented passenger of a Greyhound bus travelling from Alberta to Manitoba slit the throat of a young man, Tim McLean. And while horrified bus passengers watched from the outside of the bus then encircled by police who did nothing for hours to stop Vince Weiguang Li from cannibalizing his victim.
The former Phillippine police officer, Rolando Mendoza, who was accused of extortion and drug-related crimes, was formerly considered one of the country's top-performing police officers. His performance on this occasion was quite outstanding, resulting in the deaths of eight tourists, while an additional seven were hospitalized with injuries.
No kudos to the authorities.
Labels: Life's Like That, Security, Society
posted by Pieface | 5:35 PM
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