First off, let’s pray for the victims of the Quirino Grandstand hostage taking that took part this morning. Thank god the standoff ended but we have lessons to learn on the incident.

While at work later, i kept myself updated on the hostage situation crisis that started around 9am. I was about to start work and the news back then was not that big yet. It was not until later afternoon when the news broke out big.

There was only 1 hostage taker. He took over 1 tourist bus containing foreign passengers. Lot’s of police in the scene… at least the hostage taker took out the kids that were in the bus.

First ultimatum was 3pm. then it extended till 3:30 and so on and so for. The whole country was watching a real-life drama unfolding right at their own living homes. I also kept myself updated with what’s happening (can’t blame it since i myself graduated from broadcast journalism) hence, this is my part of keeping myself updated with what’s happening to the country.

Around 7pm i think, the brother of the hostage taker was arrested. I think this is where it all started (i’m speaking for myself on this one)

As i took a rest while waiting for work to end, i watch through our cafeteria the latest developments. There were so many people watching… the rain was hard. I said to myself, it’s almost night and this will be over soon.

And it did…

But not on how everyone expected it.

It was a bloody mess… on a rainy night….

After all of this, what will happen to us? Will media be bragging on who got the exclusive reports? Will travel bans be implemented by other countries to the Philippines (as of this writing, Hongkong already issued a severe travel ban here in the country)

There are rules in covering hostage crisis for media practitioners: (as taken from Poynter Online)

• Always assume that the hostage taker, gunman, or terrorist has access to the reporting.
• Avoid describing with words or showing with still photography and video any information that could divulge the tactics or positions of SWAT team members.
• Fight the urge to become a player in any standoff, hostage situation, or terrorist incident. Journalists should become personally involved only as a last resort and with the explicit approval of top news management and the consultation of trained hostage negotiators on the scene.
• Be forthright with viewers, listeners, or readers about why certain information is being withheld if security reasons are involved.
• Seriously weigh the benefits to the public of what information might be given out versus what potential harm that information might cause. This is especially important in live reporting of an ongoing situation.
• Strongly resist the temptation to telephone a gunman or hostage taker. Journalists generally are not trained in negotiation techniques, and one wrong question or inappropriate word could jeopardize someone’s life. Furthermore, just calling in could tie up phone lines or otherwise complicate communication efforts of the negotiators.
• Notify authorities immediately if a hostage taker or terrorist calls the newsroom. Also, have a plan ready for how to respond.
• Challenge any gut reaction to “go live” from the scene of a hostage-taking crisis, unless there are strong journalistic reasons for a live, on-the-scene report. Things can go wrong very quickly in a live report, endangering lives or damaging negotiations. Furthermore, ask if the value of a live, on-the-scene report is really justifiable compared to the harm that could occur.
• Give no information, factual or speculative, about a hostage taker’s mental condition, state of mind, or reasons for actions while a standoff is in progress. The value of such information to the audience is limited, and the possibility of such characterizations exacerbating an already dangerous situation are quite real.
• Give no analyses or comments on a hostage taker’s or terrorist’s demands. As bizarre or ridiculous (or even legitimate) as such demands may be, it is important that negotiators take all demands seriously.
• Keep news helicopters out of the area where the standoff is happening, as their noise can create communications problems for negotiators and their presence could scare a gunman to deadly action.
• Do not report information obtained from police scanners. If law enforcement personnel and negotiators are compromised in their communications, their attempts to resolve a crisis are greatly complicated.
• Be very cautious in any reporting on the medical condition of hostages until after a crisis is concluded. Also, be cautious when interviewing hostages or released hostages while a crisis continues.
• Exercise care when interviewing family members or friends of those involved in standoff situations. Make sure the interview legitimately advances the story for the public and is not simply conducted for the shock value of the emotions conveyed or as a conduit for the interviewee to transmit messages to specific individuals.
• Go beyond the basic story of the hostage taking or standoff to report on the larger issues behind the story, be it the how and why of what happened, reports on the preparation and execution of the SWAT team, or the issues related to the incident.

Question is were these rules followed?

Here are my thoughts on the incident:

• This will be an issue on the next couple of days (media frenzy and striking while the iron is hot)
• Past issues will be forgotten because of this one (i do hope not, we still have criminals to pursue and justice to be served)
• Pointing fingers on the issue (again, i do hope this won’t happen)
• Tourism will affect the Philippines (even though you don’t say that it will have a negative effect, i don’t think so)
• Inspections here and there on bus stations
• Many people will make fun of the police and will throw jokes that they should have played Counter Strike, Modern Warfare or any other First-Person Shooters and will claim that it’s just easy to handle the situation (remember, in games you can respawn. In real life, you only have one shot to do everything)
• Where is the news blackout?
• Opportunistic politicians will jump in the issue and will grandstand on the said issue. Come on guys, style nyo bulok (in other words, old style)

In the end… we all end up as losers… Why you ask? Because it’s still us fellow Filipinos who will be suffering the consequences of the hostage crisis…

P.S.

Whatever happened to the Maguindanao crisis? the Graft and corruption problem? GMA corruption problems?

I do hope they will not be forgotten because of this incident.

Let this serve as a lesson for us Filipinos as well. For who may know, it may not only happen on a tourist bus.

Let’s all be vigilant!

P.P.S.

For those of you who don’t know, Ron Gagalac, the person covering the beat for ABS-CBN was my college professor way back in DLSU-D.