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MANILA, Philippines - The deputy negotiator in the bloody Manila hostage drama said he could have subdued the hostage-taker during the negotiations but was not allowed to do so.
Chief Inspector Romeo Salvador told the committee investigating the hostage-taking that he could have subdued sacked police officer Rolando Mendoza early on in the negotiations but was overruled by the chief negotiator, Superintendent Orlando Yebra.
Salvador also claimed that he heard Mendoza berate an official in the Office of the Ombudsman on the phone "for the whole crisis" because the official allegedly asked P150,000 (S$150,000) for his case.
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"I recommended that I subdue Captain Mendoza to Colonel Yebra the first time I get near to him but [Yebra] said no because that is not according to the hostage-taking manual," said Salvador.
"He said we were negotiators and were [not to do anything] to the hostage-taker," he added.
Under questioning from panel member Herman Basbaño, head of the Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines, Salvador said that the hostage-taker went to the door of the bus five times and, in one of these instances, he could have subdued Mendoza.
"Yes, your honor...even on my own. I could have grabbed him although he always had his finger on the trigger," Salvador said.
However, he also noted that Yebra was in front of the hostage-taker and therefore in the line of fire while he was on the side.
Salvador said that during the negotiations in the afternoon, he also heard the hostage-taking venting out his anger on a certain "Director Gonzalez" at the Office of the Ombudsman on the phone.
The hostage-taker was able to talk to the official after Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno went to the Ombudsman to get help on Mendoza's case.
Mendoza was sacked from his post after he was accused of trying to extort money from a chef accused of possessing illegal drugs.
"[Mendoza] said some bad words. He said, `Your mother's a whore. You asked for P150,000 for my case. Your mother's a whore,'" Salvador recounted.
"If anyone dies here, it is because of your fault.' He said, `Your mother's a whore' several times," Salvador added.
Salvador said that while he was about three to five meters away from Mendoza, he heard the hostage-taker's words because the he was "shouting."
"But he suddenly mellowed down and said, `Thank you ma'am. Thank you ma'am. I'll just wait here for the order,'" Salvador said, recounting when Mendoza was supposedly able to talk to Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez herself.
"He again talked to Vice Mayor and thanked him, saying ?I'll wait for you here,?" Salvador added.
However, when the vice mayor arrived later and went to the bus ?together with the hostage-taker's brother, SP02 Gregorio Mendoza ? and gave an envelope to the hostage-taker, the latter got angry.
"Senior Police 0fficer 2 Mendoza said ?Bro, this is the Ombusman's answer.? He was holding a phone while reading the contents when he suddenly said ?This is trash. This is trash,?" Salvador said.
??This is trash sir. What I need is an order,?" Salvador quoted Mendoza as saying.
He said Yebra then tried to calm down Mendoza and told him that he could talk to other police officials for an "order temporarily suspending his dismissal and reinstating him to the [police] service."
"Ok, let's talk about that later," Mendoza supposedly replied.
But then SP02 Mendoza intervened and complained that his gun ? which was confiscated form him when he arrived at the Quirino grandstand ? had not been returned.
"[SP02] Mendoza was pointing at me and [the hostage-taker told me] `You said you've returned it already.' I said I'll return it after the talks," Salvador said.
But then the hostage-taker's brother allegedly said: "Bro, if my gun is not returned, don't agree to what was discussed."
Yebra allegedly grabbed SP02 Mendoza while the hostage-taker aimed his M-16 Armalite rifle at Salvador. A shot later rang out from inside the bus while Yebra, Salvador, and Mendoza ran for cover.
Salvador said Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim then ordered SP02 Mendoza handcuffed and brought to headquarters.
He added that Yebra afterwards tried to call the hostage-taker but he could not longer reach Mendoza.
Salvador said he believed Mendoza would have surrendered peacefully if only he was shown an order reinstating him to the police service.
"He said early on that he would be happy if he was reinstated, even if he were charged after [the hostage-taking] incident. He said that at the start of our talks," Salvador said.
"Friend, if I'm returned to the service, I will get down from here. I know that I already [face] a case for this [hostage-taking],'" he quoted Mendoza as saying.
When asked why this demand was not granted to Mendoza early on, Salvador said: "It's not my call, Your Honor."
He said the issuance of an order temporarily reinstating Mendoza was the police negotiators' "last option."
Salvador added that he also believed that the hostage drama would eventually be resolved peacefully because Mendoza had released several hostages.
When asked why he thought the hostage drama ended violently, Salvador said: "My personal opinion is somebody intervened."
But when asked who intervened, he answered: "I don't know."
He said he also did not know who allowed SP02 Mendoza to participate in the negotiations when Manila police chief Rodolfo Magtibay had forbidden him to do so.
Salvador said the cellular phone that Mendoza used was inadvertently turned over to Hong Kong authorities.
He also admitted that he had no formal training in handling hostage negotiations but had been involved in three previous hostage-taking cases. He added that he had some lessons as part of his officer training.
Salvador said Mendoza asked to talk with TV reporter Susan Enriquez but this was turned down later on because the hostage-taker insisted that the interview be held inside the bus.
He also said that media interviews with hostage-takers were not allowed under police rules and that Mendoza's demand, aired over a radio station, that his brother be released was not relayed to the negotiators although one broadcast journalist with links to the station was just "standing in front" of him.
Salvador, whose blood-pressure shot up to 160/110 at Saturday's committee hearing, also shared some light moments he had during the hostage drama.
He insisted on finishing his testimony, saying his blood pressure would go up just the same if he were to appear before the panel at some other time.
He said that that he felt dizzy during the negotiations and went to a nearby waiting ambulance to ask for medicine but was instead given a menthol rub.
Salvador admitted that he had not taken his lunch during the negotiations and he later had to ask for food from the hostage-taker. Three plastic bags of food and bottled water from a popular fast-food chain had been delivered to the bus.
"I asked for food but was denied [by Mendoza]," Salvador said.
When asked by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima why he had to ask for his lunch from the hostage taker, Salvador said: "We were friends, your honor."
"And sharing food is a good sign. It builds rapport," Salvador added.
He also said he thought that Mendoza had shot him when the hostage-taker for the first time fired his rifle after he got angry with the reply he got from the Ombudsman.
"He had aimed the rifle at me. I saw that. I thought I had been shot and [told Yebra] ?Sir, we were shot,?" Salvador said as he felt his legs, recounting the incident.
"[Yebra replied] ?Is that so? and we walked faster," Salvador added.
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