Other people may have aided Mendoza — IIRC report

Rolando Mendoza had planned to hold hostage a busload of Chinese tourists possibly with the help of several individuals, according to the report by the inter-agency panel that investigated the August 23 Manila hostage tragedy. But due to time constraints, the five-member Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) failed to identify these individuals in its investigation. “While pre-meditation was established, the IIRC did not include investigation of persons who could have aided in the planning of the hostage taking or who should have forewarned the authorities, but did not," the IIRC said in its 83-page report. Eight tourists — as well as Mendoza — were killed in the hostage-taking incident that has caused tension between the Philippines and China. The panel said its five-day marathon hearings “focused on the high ranking officials and major players involved in the incident."

Brother as an accomplice The IIRC, however, said SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, the hostage-taker’s brother, may be one of the individuals who helped plan for the crime. “A tactical investigation of Gregorio early in the day before he was arrested would have provided material information," it said. It noted that in Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim’s testimony, he said Gregorio “at one point admitted that he and Mendoza agreed to ‘go’ the plan in light of their frustration with the Ombudsman." The report said this implied that Gregorio was part of the planning. Mendoza, a dismissed policeman seeking reinstatement, had a pending case before the Office of the Ombudsman. Gregorio should be charged Lim, who was among the officials recommended to face charges in connection with the tragedy, questioned why the IIRC did not include Gregorio on the list of people with allegedly culpability. “Dapat si Gregorio Mendoza ang i-demanda dahil sila ang nagpasimuno nito (Gregorio Mendoza should be charged because he was among those who started it all)," an irate Lim said at a press briefing Tuesday. Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, who was also recommended to be charged, took a swipe not only against Gregorio but also against the IIRC. Probers must be probed “People in government should be responsible enough for their actions, at ang nakalulungkot, ang dapat na imbestigahan ay ang nag-iimbestiga (what’s sad is the one that investigated this also deserved to be investigated)," he said. Both Lim and Moreno objected to some critical points raised in the IIRC report. “The investigation should have focused not on blaming people but on finding out the shortcomings and recommending solutions so this won’t happen again," Lim, a former police official, said. Lim said if he were to conduct the investigation, he would have emphasized in the findings, among other things, that there were “four missed opportunities" when the police could have destabilized Mendoza. At the same press conference, Lim also rushed to the side of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, chief negotiator Superintendent Orlando Yebra, and policemen on the scene who were held culpable by the IIRC report. “Police lang ang magpapakamatay sa ganitong mga sitwasyon (it’s only the police who would put their lives on harm’s way in this kind of situation), and we get this!" he said, banging his fist on the table. - with Mark Dalan Merueñas/KBK, GMANews.TV