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DILG, DOJ start parallel probes on hostage drama


Two government agencies have started investigating Monday’s bloody hostage crisis to determine if lapses had been committed by the concerned authorities that resulted in the deaths of eight hostages, all of them tourists from Hong Kong. The parallel investigation is being conducted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Justice undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar on Wednesday said the investigative body, called the Incident Review Committee, will meet later in the day to identify the possible lapses in handling the hostage crisis. “We intend to examine the institutional problems which might have contributed to the incident. We will look at the operational guidelines, the logistical concerns, and administrative concerns which might have contributed to that incident," Salazar said at a news briefing. He said the committee already has its preliminary report that will be “analyzed" during the meeting Wednesday evening at the DILG office in Quezon City. DILG secretary Jesse Robredo will serve as the review committee chair with DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima as the vice chair.. Members include officials of the departments and their attached agencies: Salazar, DOJ Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Leah Armamento, Cesar Chavez III and Chulo Palencia, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Magtanggol Gatdula, NBI Anti-Terrorism Division head Romulo Asis, Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa, members of the PNP Internal Affairs Service, and Senior Superintendent Francisco Peñaflor. A technical working group will be composed of DOJ prosecutors, forensic experts, crime laboratory experts and members of the National Police Commission (Napolcom). Representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the media, and civic groups will likewise act as resource persons. While Salazar clarified that the inquiry does not intend to point the finger to the media, he said it is important that the media’s role be outlined in hostage situations. “I think the partnership between media and the government is crucial in any incident like this," he said. Broadcast networks have received flak because the slain hostage-taker, dismissed policeman Rolando Mendoza, was believed to have started firing at the hostages after seeing a live footage of his brother being carried and loaded into a patrol car by the police. PNP's separate probe The DILG-DOJ body has set a time frame of two months in conducting the probe, which is separate from the investigation being done by the PNP. The PNP has formed the Post Critical Incident Management Committee (PCIMC), which will be headed by the PNP’s directorial staff, including the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management. It will handle the criminal, administrative, and human rights aspects of the investigation. The Directorate for Intelligence is tasked to conduct a background investigation on Mendoza, and the Directorate for Police Community Relations (DPCR) will review existing police-media policies during critical situations. Deputy Director General Raul Bacalzo will take care of revisiting operational procedures and crowd-control measures. - KBK, GMANews.TV

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