Police admit blunders in Philippines hostage drama in which eight tourists were killed

Bungling: Police enter the bus after failed attempts to break in with a sledge hammer. Tourists on the vehicle, a group which included two British nationals, were sprayed with gunfire during the raid

Final moments: Police move in to finally end the bus siege in Manila, Phillipines in which eight tourists and the hostage-taking former policeman were killed, sparking criticism of police tactics

Police in the Philippines admitted today they had blundered in trying to end the hostage drama that resulted in eight tourists being shot dead by a crazed gunman as they sat in terror on a hijacked bus.

Commandos fired dozens of bullets into the bus and struck at its windows with sledgehammers as they tried to storm it, but were forced to wait outside helplessly for more than an hour as the maddened hijacker used the tourists as human shields.

As a storm of criticism about police tactics erupted, Manila police commander Leocadio Santiago admitted: 'We made mistakes.'

* Two British nationals among survivors of 12-hour bus siege
* Criticism of police failure to shoot hostage-taking former policeman earlier
* Relatives of victims fly from Hong Kong as nation mourns dead









'We saw some obvious shortcomings in terms of capability and tactics used, or the procedure employed, and we are now going to investigate this.'

But an investigation after the bloody event has failed to placate Hong Kong's government after it watched its nationals - as well as two British citizens who survived - live through hours of terror on the hijacked bus after it had been commandeered by disgruntled policeman Rolando Mendoza, 55.

One of the survivors, who identified herself only as Mrs Leung, said as she scrambled from the bus after Mendoza had finally been shot dead: 'The police should not have waited so long.

'There were so many people on the bus but no-one came to our rescue. Why?'
That was a question also being asked by Philippines president Benigno Aquino, who promised to investigate all aspects of the 12-hour ordeal, which began when Mendoza boarded the bus in a tourist area and demanded to be given a ride.

But shortly afterwards the Hong Kong tourists realised they were in trouble when he ordered the driver to lock the door and began waving his M-16 assault rifle around.

As police eventually closed in on the bus he sprayed the hostages with bullets, killing Mrs Leung's husband as he dived across her to try to protect her.
'This tragedy highlights many flaws in the ability of Philippine security forces to hand hostage situations,' said President Aquino, who came to power two months ago.

'There are a lot of things that resulted in a tragedy. Obviously we should be improving.'

He claimed that one of the problems was the way the crises was played out through the media, with the gunman being allowed to speak on radio and watch events live on the bus's tv, giving him insights into police actions.
But the President insisted that waiting for more than 10 hours had been the right thing for the police to do. 'Up to that point the police believed they could convince the gunman to stand down.'

During a tense few minutes police had the opportunity to shoot Medoza with a sniper's bullet as he stood in the open doorway of the bus talking to police negotiators.

Had they decided no chances were to be taken with a man who had already shown himself to be dangerous by hijacking the bus with an assault rifle, eight lives would not have been lost.

In Hong Kong relatives of the victims expressed anger over the bloody end to the stand-off. 'The way it was handled - particularly the outcome - is very disappointing,' said Hong Kong Chief Executive
Donald Tsang.
Hong Kong newspapers criticised the opportunities that had been lost to end the siege much earlier.

'A large group of police failed to get into the bus after surrounding the vehicle for nearly half an hour,' said the Hong Kong Economic Journal.

'Their appalling professional standards and the lack of strategic planning made observers both angry and sad. This tragedy could have been avoided.'

In the former British protectorate flags flew at half mast and the Hong Kong stock exchange held a minute's silence.

Mendoza had seized the bus to make public his demands to be reinstated as a police officer after his sacking amid claims of extortion against him.

Before being discharged, he had been regarded as a model officer, once being named as among the top 10 policemen in the country.

Last night two chartered flights were on their way to take relatives of the hostages to Manila. Psychologists, doctors and social workers were also on the flights.

Killed: Mendoza hangs from the door


Bizarre: Earlier in the day, a random man appeared to cycle past the bus, watched by the armed kidnapper inside the vehicle

Safety: A police officer helps a hostage freed by Mendoza after tense negotiations

Opportunity? Former police officer Rolando Mendoza looks out of a window during the siege, making himself a potential target for snipers who could have ended the crisis earlier by shooting him

Demands: A list of the gunman's grudges against the Manila police department are taped to the windscreen

Released: Four hostages - a mother and three children - are escorted from the bus after being freed

Horrific ordeal: A terrified woman is helped from the bus after the final shoot-out

Hostage-taker: Former Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, stands at the entrance of the bus earlier in the siege

 
Rescue attempt: Police surround the bus as their colleagues attempt to smash their way in to reach the gunman

Rescued: An injured hostage is pulled clear of the bus by emergency service workers after the gunman was shot dead by police

Sickening: Students pose for photographs near the damaged tourist bus as people gather to watch the investigation

Tourist attraction: People gather to watch forensic investigators examining the bus as police officers stand guard 24 hours after the siege began

Destruction: Scenes of crime officers in Manila have placed labels on bullet holes on the bus as officials begin an investigation into the deaths of the holidaymakers

Tragic: A grieving relative sits with the body of one of the victims of the shootings as it arrives at a police laboratory for a post-mortem examination

Distraught: Family members of some of the victims weep and offer prayers during a Buddhist ceremony today