Report: DILG usec ready to quit over hostage row

Claiming to be guilt-ridden over President Benigno Aquino III’s admission of full responsibility for the Aug. 23 Manila hostage crisis, a key official tasked to handle the incident is ready to quit his post over the mess. Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno hinted Monday in a radio interview that he may resign as soon as an inter-agency investigating body finds him culpable for the deaths of eight tourists and the hostage-taker. "Nahihiya nga po tayo sa presidente dahil inaako niya lahat ang aming pagkukulang. Sabi ko nga kung pagkukulang ko ako ay dapat mag-resign, ako ay magre-resign (I am ashamed that it took the president to take full responsibility for our shortcomings. So if it can be established that I bungled my job, I will resign)," Puno, a “shooting buddy" of Aquino, said in an interview on dzXL radio. When asked if he will resign as soon as the inter-agency fact-finding body headed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima finds him culpable, he said, "Opo, opo (yes, yes)." He said he is also ready to face the consequences if his lack of experience and training in handling hostage situations will be found to be a major factor in the hostage crisis. Eight Hong Kong tourists and their hostage-taker, dismissed Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, were killed in the 11-hour standoff. The incident also strained ties between the Philippines and China and Hong Kong. 'Full responsibility' Last week, Aquino said he will take full responsibility for what happened, but Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma insisted this does not mean Aquino will resign. "We are all responsible," Puno said. "Sinabi ko doon wala akong karanasan nor training na mag-handle ng hostage situation. Kung yan ang pagkukulang ko, inaamin ko yan. Pagka itong ating investigation panel sasabihin nila yan ang isang rason yan ang nangyari, handa tayong harapin ang lahat na kanilang decision doon. At kung kailangan e mag-resign tayo, magre-resign tayo (I already said I had neither experience nor training in handling hostage situations. If that liability of mine is found to be a factor in the bloody outcome of the crisis, I will face the consequences and if needed, I will resign)," he added. Puno said Aquino had tasked him to be his “eyes and ears" in the Philippine National Police. Puno said he had been Aquino’s consultant on public safety and order. During the Aug. 23 incident, he said Aquino told him to provide for the needs of the hostage negotiator at ground commander. "Everything was doing all right. Ang general assessment ng hostage negotiator, maayos naman ito. Yan ang sinabi sa akin matatapos, papagurin na lang natin. Di naintindihan doon ang demand ng ating hostage taker was reinstatement and a review of his case sa Ombudsman. Doon pa lang sa demand, makikita ninyo wala siyang intention pumatay, pakakawalan niya yan (Everything was doing okay at the time. The general assessment was that Mendoza merely wanted to be reinstated and have his case before the Ombudsman reviewed. Based on his demands, we did not anticipate he would kill)," he said. But now, he said he is willing to take responsibility for what happened, especially after seeing Aquino take the cudgels for his subordinates. "Ako naman dati ko naman sinabi sa kanya [na] kung mahirapan ka at trabaho ko taga-sangga, di ko kaya gawin ang aking trabaho dapat talaga mag-resign, willing ako umako ng responsibility (I have told the president before, that if he runs into problems, I’d take the cudgels for him. But if I cannot do my job I will resign. I am willing to face my responsibility)," he said. — RSJ, GMANews.TV