MANILA, Philippines - Forensic investigators from Hong Kong started examining yesterday the bus where eight tourists and a hostage taker were shot dead. The investigators wore protective clothing, including plastic covering for their shoes, gloves, caps and dust masks – items that would prevent them from coming directly in contact with any part of the bus and possibly contaminating evidence. They brought flashlights for close examination as well as cameras to record what they saw.
Contrast this with the actions of the Manila police as soon as it became clear that hostage taker Rolando Mendoza was finally dead. A cop was seen waving to the crowd in what looked like an invitation to approach the bus. A horde of journalists then joined the police and paramedics in rushing toward the vehicle, stepping on spent shells and jostling for a closer look at Mendoza and his victims. No one is sure what happened to the sledgehammer that slipped from the grip of one of the Special Weapons and Tactics team members and flew into the bus through a shattered windowpane. Everyone trampled all over the scene of the crime, with each step making it harder for investigators to piece together an accurate picture of what happened.
In Hong Kong last Sunday, tens of thousands of residents marched in the streets to demand justice for the eight victims and protest the mishandling of the incident by Philippine authorities. The quest for justice begins with a thorough investigation of what happened. The results should also establish who must be held accountable for the bungled police response that culminated in the carnage.
Over the weekend the Philippine National Police virtually cleared itself of suspicions that the responding SWAT team might have killed some of the hostages. Yesterday both Malacañang and the Department of Justice told the PNP to shut up and wait for the final results of probes being conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation and the Hong Kong forensic team. Philippine law enforcers botched their response to the hostage crisis. They should make sure they do not botch the investigation as well
