COA Central Special Issue

by the Committee on Social Involvement (CSI)

16 September 2010, Thursday

Dear Atenean, Did you know what happened exactly three weeks ago?

TIMELINE: 11 Hours of Madness

By DJ Yap, Marlon Ramos, Jeannette Andrade

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Here is the sequence of events that led to a bloodbath in Monday’s Rizal Park hostage

saga. The times are approximations based on interviews with the police, witnesses and relatives of hostages:

8 a.m. Driver Alberto Lubang, on board Hong Thai Travel bus, with plate No. TWU-799, fetches Hong Kong

residents from Manila Pavilion hotel, where they are billeted, and drops them off at Intramuros. They are on the

last day of their group tour.

The Hong Kong tourists roam around to take pictures, see the sights.

9 a.m. Lubang fetches the tourists from the agreed meeting place outside the Manila Cathedral.

9:30 a.m. The tourists board the bus. Lubang notices former Senior Insp. Rolando Mendoza in a police uniform

and armed with an M-16 rifle, watching them.

When everybody is inside and the bus is about to leave, Mendoza approaches and asks where they are headed.

Lubang says they are going to the airport and Mendoza asks for a ride. Lubang lets him board.

9:45 a.m. Upon reaching Rizal Park, Mendoza tells the driver and passengers: “Sorry, you’re my hostages

now...” Read More

And did you know how your fellow Ateneans responded to the incident?

The hostage crisis should not be viewed in a "should have, could have, would have" manner because the reality

is that, it happened and nobody was ready. This kind of perspective suspends us from getting back up and

moving forward because we are constantly projected with an image of what could have been, an alternative that

might somewhat redeem us from the ill-remarks and all the negativities that we are receiving. As Chinese

Filipinos... Read More

The Ateneo Student Exchange Council (ASEC) would like to express its stand on the Hostage Crisis last

August 23, 2010. First and foremost, we would like to express our sincerest condolences to the families of

those who have lost loved ones, including to the family of Mr. Rolando Mendoza. As there have already

been different perspectives stated regarding the issue, we would not dwell too much on... Read More

Together with the Philippine nation, we, the Ateneo Economics Association, mourn for the deaths and

casualties that resulted from the hostage-taking by former Philippine National Police (PNP) Captain Mendoza

last August 23, 2010. We condemn all the acts and shortcomings that led to the deaths of the innocent Chinese

tourists, and that showed the lack of police training in handling the crisis. We are not here to make a stand on

the tragic event based on any false hypothesis (e.g., “If only the police force did that, then this wouldn’t have

happened.”); rather, we would like to express our solidiarity with... Read More

THE ASSEMBLY recognizes that such a violent manifestation is not only a local crime, but is a symptom of a

larger mistrust towards public institutions. The hostage-taker, himself a law-enforcer, had grown increasingly

distrustful of the authority emanated in the decision of the Ombudsman to relieve him of his duties. Corrupt

institutions beget only mistrust, the very impediment to our understanding as a communal society. THE

ASSEMBLY believes... Read More

ACLC offered prayers during their morning and afternoon examen, which is a silent, solemn, reflective type of

prayer done weekly. [We prayed] for the families grieving and we believe that the government could have done a

better job in handling the situation.

The Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila, representing the students of

the Loyola Schools of Ateneo de Manila University, unequivocally condemns the hostage taking and killing

perpetrated by former Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza... Read More

And now we challenge you...

Bilang tao. Bilang Pilipino.

Atenista, kaya mo rin bang

MAKIALAM?

Brought to you by the COA CSI:

Sources of pictures: http://www.phillyimc.org/files/imagecache/story/files/manila-philippines-hostage-hong-kong-chinese.jpg http://www.phillyimc.org/files/imagecache/story/files/manila-philippines-hostage-hong-kong-chinese_0.jpg http://whatswithjeff.0fees.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/quirino-hostage-taking6.jpg

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