Manila hostage crisis

The Manila hostage crisis happened on August 23, 2010. A man who had been fired from the Philippine National Police, Rolando del Rosario Mendoza, boarded a tourist bus in Rizal Park and took the passengers hostages. Nine people (including 8 tourists from Hong Kong, killed by Mendoza, and Mendoza himself) were killed in the incident.

Since some Hong Kong people blamed the Philippine Government for not handling the incident properly, the relationship between Hong Kong and the Philippines had become much worse.

 Background 
 Murderer 
Rolando del Rosario Mendoza was formerly a policeman. In 2008, he was fired because of  complaints that he forced an arrested chef to admit drug trafficking that he had not done.

When he came aboard the tourist bus, he posted a sticker to the bus stating "BIG MISTAKE TO CORRECT A BIG WRONG DECISION".

 Tour group 
The tour group was held by Hong Thai Travel. It set off on 20 August. The day when the incident happen was the last day of the tour. That day was also the Ghost Festival of China.

 Process 
17px Note that the time mentioned in this chapter is 8 hours faster than the UTC.

About 10 o'clock, Mendoza boarded the bus. At that time, he let the tour guide and the hostage contact their households. The tour guide, Tse Ting Chunn, phoned the Assistant Manager (There is a serious incident. A solider came apart our bus and took us as hostage. He has two gun.)" The manager told him to make the tourist be calm.

At 2 pm, a younger brother of Mendoza came. A police officer took his gun. Mendoza got angry and shouted. At 9 pm, he started killing the tourists. First, he killed the tour guide. Next, he shot at Yik Siu Ling. She pretended to be dead.易小玲：「叫我宜家點見人？」下顎中槍毀容一字一淚哭訴, 星島日報 Then, some of the tourists decided to subdue him, but they were shot.門多薩一步一槍「行刑」 陳國柱憶傅卓仁梁錦榮衝前「肉搏」慘遭射殺, 星島日報 After that, he kept on shooting at the tourists.

About 7 pm, The Philippine National Police signed the reinstatement order of Mendoza. However, because of the traffic jam, the document wasn't deliver to him on time. When the document was delivered, he had already killed many tourists.

 Deaths and injured people 
The tour guide and six tourists who were shot by Mendoza died. Mendoza was shot dead by the police afterwards. Seven tourists were hurt. Some of them underwent surgery. Mike Yadrillo y Campanero, a citizen in the Philippines and a staff of TVB were also injured during the shootings.我想康泰解釋一下以下菲律賓差館嘅文件 « MO's notebook 3 to 4

 Aftermath 
 Investigation 
The government of the Philippines agreed that the killed tourists were murdered.

 Sanctions against the Philippines 
On 5 November 2013, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, CY Leung, has claimed that if no progress are made in a month, there will be sanctions against the Philippines.

On 29 January 2014, Hong Kong has canceled visa-free privileges for Philippine officials. However, Aquino III, the president of the Philippines, still refuses to apologize for the incident.

 Hacking 
The official website of Bulacan, a city of the Philippines, was hacked. The background music was changed to the national anthem of the People's Republic of China and text was added which requested the government to apologize.

 Funeral and other matters 
After the accident, some of the bodies of the killed tourists had been mixed up. Also, the staff of the funeral house opened the coffins and let journalists take photos. Such events made the Hong Kong people very more angry. Ironically, Mendoza's funeral was held at his home and his coffin was covered by the national flag of the Philippines. This added anger to the people of Hong Kong.  A "netizen" of Hong Kong even joked that the Philippine flag could be used as doormat.Discuss in Baby Kingdom

The Philippine Government said that the flag was used improperly. They had already asked the households of Mendoza to remove the flag.

Tse Ting Chunn, the tour guide, was buried in Diamond Hill Crematorium.暫有一家庭願葬親景仰園 社署聯絡多部門 照料汪家遺孤, 星島日報 Three tourist were buried at St. Raphael's Catholic Cemetery temporarily. The others were buried in Tribute Garden.四名遇難者 安葬景仰園, 蘋果日報

 Criticism to the incident handling 
 Philippine Police 
The Philippine Police were criticized for the followings:
 They did not know how to enter the bus to rescue. Someone from the transport industry said that there was button outside the bus that could open the door easily.
 They had had many chances to shoot Mendoza but they did not do so. A security analyst, who had worked in the British Army and Scotland Yard, said that the Philippine Police should not give away such chances easily as they were dealing with an unpredictable and irrational man.
 As Mendoza just wanted to attract attention to what had happened to him, the police should not have annoyed him by rejecting his request of having somebody to review his case.
 They did not have enough equipment to carry out a rescue.
 Some "netizens" in Hong Kong found that the Philippine Police destroyed the windows where a note that was posted by Mendoza was stuck. The note was about a case which made him lost his job.

 Rescue operation units 
When a injured tourist was on an ambulance, he asked for a bandage. However, a nurse told him to cover the wound himself.送上救護車　零急救設施, 成報

Another injured tourist was sent to the Manila Doctors Hospital. However, a guard didn't let her in. Finally, when she was being transferred to the Manila City Hospital, she died.脅持慘劇菲報告稱首間醫院拒收轉送途中沒心跳　楊綺華疑失救枉死, 蘋果日報

 Mourning 
 Hong Kong 
The Government had set up public places for mourning, and also a Facebook page.政府設立網頁並在各區弔唁菲律賓挾持人質事件中死難者約三萬八千人簽署弔唁冊悼念在菲遇難港人。

Mourning masses were held in churches.

Many websites of Hong Kong turned their logos gray. "A Symphony of Lights", a firework and light show held every evening at 8:00 pm in Hong Kong was suspended.「幻彩詠香江」暫停

A joint demonstration march was held by the policial parties such as the Democratic Party, the Civic Party, Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, and Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

 The Philippines 
On 25 August, different religious organizations held Puja and mass. Upajjhayas of Fo Guang Shan, a Taiwanese temple, prayed for peace. The Archbishop of Manila led a prayer and 200 police officers lit candles for the dead in a mourning ceremony.

 Macau 
Fernando Chui Sai On, chief executive of Macau, wrote a condolence letter to Donald Tsang, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong then. The Encyclopedia of Virtual Communities in Macau turned its logo gray.新聞動態/備份1

 Legal action 
In 2013, household of the died tour guide and some of the injured filed a petition to the High Court. The petition is against the government of the Philippines, former mayor of Manila and 7 other units.

Two of the injured also filed a petition, but it was against Hong Thai Travel.

 Effect on the tourist industry 
At 21:45 on 23 August 2008, Security Bureau had raised the Outbound Travel Alert for the Philippines to Black.

In the first two months after the incident, 4000 pesos of tourist receipts were lost. In August 2010, about 12,000 tourists were from Hong Kong. However, in September, there were only about 7000 tourists from Hong Kong.

 Controversies in the Internet 
Jackie Chan, an actor, said that Hong Kong people had forgiven the Philippine Police.成龍盼平息港菲仇怨 「別擔心，我們沒有憎恨」, 星島日報 Many "netizens" in Hong Kong disagreed his comment and condemned him.成龍被屈撐菲警 慘變箭靶, 太陽報 Later, his blog had an entry about his own café in the Philippines welcomed by the Philippine policemen.  He later apologized.成龍發聲明拆彈 免愈描愈黑, 太陽報

One year after the crime, Wong Koon Chung, a singer, said that he would support killing the Philippine President Aquino III and cursing him with foul language.黃貫中微博斥阿奎諾三世　「誰要暗殺你我出錢」, 蘋果日報 He later took back his speech.阿Paul坐監都要鬧爆菲總統, 星島日報

 Reaction 
A Hong Kong TV station, TVB, played Can't Buy Me Love, a comedy, after the live show of the hostage incident. TVB had received complaints afterwards.

However, there were comments that comedies could make the audience relaxed.

 References 

 Other websites 

 Facebook page: 深切哀悼菲律賓遇害港人 In remembrance of the Manila hijack victims 
 Outbound Travel Alert for the Philippines

 Appendix 
 Official reports and statement of the government 
 Meeting minutes about the incident of Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
 Official Statement of President Aquino on the August 23, 2010 hostage-taking incident at the Quirino Grandstand 
 First Report of the IIRC on the Rizal Park Hostage-taking Incident 
Review of the 1st Report of the IIRC dated August 23, 2010 
SECOND REPORT OF THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND REVIEW COMMITTEE (IIRC) ON THE AUGUST 23, 2010 RIZAL PARK HOSTAGE-TAKING INCIDENT

 Videos on YouTube 
 The record of the hostage crisis: Part 1, Part 2、Part 3、Part 4、Part 5

 Data provided by the Hong Thai Travel 
 Advertisement poster of the tour group  
 Official statement about the travel insurance  

Category:2010 crimes
Category:2010s in Hong Kong
Category:2010 in the Philippines
Category:2010s murders in Asia
Category:August 2010 events
Hostage crisis
Category:Mass murder in Asia
Category:2010s mass shootings in Asia
Category:Sieges