PNP still lacks equipment to respond to crisis situations - official

MANILA, Philippines - An official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said the police still lack equipment to respond to crisis situations similar to the bloody hostage-taking incident at the Rizal Park in Manila where eight Hong Kong tourists and the hostage taker were killed on Aug. 23, 2010.

Director Leocadio Santiago, chief of the PNP-Directorate for Operation, said members of the PNP Crisis Action Force (CAF) need special equipment to effectively respond to emergencies like hostage-taking.

“On air assault for instance, CAF members need entry equipment and firearms for a close-encounter response,” Santiago said.

He said the insertion equipment for troops are necessary to secure an enclosed area.

The PNP Directorate for Operations is the unit supervising the five days of “unscripted” crisis situation exercises being assessed by anti-terrorist experts from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Santiago, the chief of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) at the time of the hostage-taking crisis, said the second day of the crisis situation exercises showed that CAF members lack better boats and flotation devices to properly respond when the crisis takes place at sea.

CAF members had sea-based exercises at the Aseana Coastal area in Parañaque City yesterday.

The team conducted air-based exercises on the first day of the program that was held at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport complex in Pasay City.

Some 184 CAF members from the Special Action Force and the Maritime Group would conduct exercises on a land-based crisis in today’s program to be held at police station 7 in Cubao, Quezon City.

Santiago said the last two days of the program would be held at the Subic Bay Free Port in Zambales, where land, water and air crisis simulations would be conducted.

PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo ordered Santiago to plan and implement an evaluation of the police unit intended as the primary responder in highly sensitive crisis situations.

After the five-day exercises, Santiago said he would submit to the PNP chief the assessment of the team, including its weakness and strengths, to allow the PNP leadership to address properly them.

The current exercises are part of the police development program to improve operations following the bungled rescue attempt during the Rizal Park hostage crisis.

Hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza, who was dismissed from the police force for extortion, commandeered a Hong Thai Travel tourist bus in Intramuros, Manila and held hostage the Hong Kong tourists and four Filipino guides for several hours in front of the Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park.

The suspect, armed with an M16 rifle and a pistol, had released several hostages before the police special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team assaulted the bus, resulting in the death of the hostage taker and eight tourists.

Police hostage negotiators said Rolando turned violent due to frustrations after failing to get his demand to be reinstated to the police force.

Mendoza started shooting the hostages when he saw through the television on board the bus the live footage of his brother Gregorio being arrested.

Gregorio was accosted for inciting his brother rather than helping with negotiations.