Police liaison denies giving faulty advice to Noy

MANILA, Philippines - A police officer that acted as liaison officer of President Aquino during the Aug. 23 hostage crisis insisted yesterday that he performed his job diligently.

“I relayed President Aquino’s instructions to my superiors, especially to Gen. (Rodolfo) Magtibay, the ground commander of the incident. But it’s beyond me why he did not follow orders,” said Superintendent Remus Medina, chief of the Regional Police Intelligence and Operation Unit (RPIOU) of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO).

Medina said he called up Magtibay, the former Manila Police District (MPD) chief at around 3 p.m. on that day to relay the President’s wishes to use the police Special Action Force (SAF) to take out hostage taker Rolando Mendoza.

Appearing before the incident investigation and review committee (IIRC), Magtibay denied receiving Mr. Aquino’s orders to use the SAF.

Medina though did not blame Magtibay for not recalling the instructions he relayed to him saying the erstwhile MPD chief had been under “lots of pressure” during the siege.

“Maybe, he was receiving lots of orders at the time because of the ongoing crisis,” Medina said. “Besides, he hardly knew me.”

Medina spent 17 years with the SAF before joining his boss, Director Leocadio Santiago in the NCRPO.

Medina barely warmed his seat at the RPIOU when the hostage-taking incident took place.

Because he’s new on the job, Medina said Magtibay might not have recognized him.

Santiago dispatched Medina to Malacañang to brief the President on the progress and developments of the hostage incident.

Mr. Aquino told a media panel interview last Thursday that he relied on Medina’s assurances that the SAF is ready to assist the SWAT team of the MPD to end the hostage crisis.

He said his “biggest mistake” was on the assurance made by Medina that the SAF would be deployed if the need arises.

“The liaison (Medina) was showing me, every time I would ask a question, that he was calling someone and would answer (everything was okay). That’s the root of my being pissed. They promised, they guaranteed, but it did not happen,” Mr. Aquino said. – With Edu Punay