A bungled rescue of Hong Kong hostages sparks a diplomatic row

Manila showdown

The police in the Philippines - Manila showdown | Asia | The Economist

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AS A policeman ineffectually sledgehammered the windows of a hijacked bus, in a desperate effort to reach 15 hostages trapped inside, it became sickeningly clear that a rescue operation had gone dreadfully wrong. More than an hour later the police got in by opening the emergency exit, and found proof of their bungling: eight of the 15 hostages, all Hong Kong tourists, had been shot dead, as had the hostage-taker, a former policeman.

August 23rd thereby became a shameful day for the Philippine National Police. Battered by criticism at home and abroad, the police admitted to “defects” in their handling of the hijack. Survivors and relatives of the victims were more explicit in their anger. It was obvious to millions in the Philippines and beyond, watching the drama unfold live on television, that the rescue squad lacked training and equipment. As serious are chronic weaknesses in the country's law-enforcement system.

The tour bus with 25 occupants was seized in Manila by a former senior inspector, Rolando Mendoza, armed with an assault rifle. He wanted the return of his job, which he had lost after accusations of extortion and robbery. Early negotiations led to a few tourists being freed, but negotiators then lost control of events. The ill-prepared rescue attempt was launched as Mr Mendoza began shooting hostages.

Filipinos know that their police are poorly trained, equipped and paid, riddled with corruption and prone to unnecessary violence. Days earlier, a television network had broadcast footage, apparently of a senior Manila policeman torturing a bound and naked robbery suspect who has since disappeared. The pictures served as a graphic corroboration of the popular view that officers consider themselves to be above the law. Yet the 120,000-strong police force is expected to tackle the violence and corruption that beset Philippine society as a whole.

Various inquiries into the latest failure have begun. Some are bound to focus on Mr Mendoza, who was once publicly lauded for being an outstandingly good cop. He may have deluded himself into thinking that by taking hostages he could force a prosecutor to review his earlier dismissal. His police career would have certainly taught him that prosecutors and judges are far from immune to bribery or intimidation. But a broader investigation of the weakness of the force as a whole is more pressing.

The government of Hong Kong has reacted strongly, both criticising the botched rescue efforts and telling its citizens to stay away from the Philippines. The government in Manila had been hoping to tap a growing demand among Chinese for holidays abroad to increase the Philippines' paltry share of tourism in South-East Asia. That was difficult, because of a perception that the country is violent and chaotic. The task has just grown much harder. 

The police in the Philippines

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Manila showdown

A bungled rescue of Hong Kong hostages sparks a diplomatic row

Asia August 28th 2010

From the August 28th 2010 edition

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