The Manila hostage crisis occurred when a dismissed Philippine National Police officer took over a tour bus in Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines on August 23, 2010. Disgruntled former senior inspector (equivalent military rank: captain) Rolando Mendoza, from the Manila Police District (MPD) hijacked a tour bus carrying 25 tourists from Hong Kong in an attempt to get his job back.^[3] He said that he was summarily dismissed without the opportunity to properly defend himself, and that all he wanted was a fair hearing.^[4]As a result of the ten-hour siege, the ensuing shoot-out, and a botched rescue attempt by MPD watched by millions on live television news, eight of the hostages and Mendoza died and nine other people were injured. The Hong Kong Government then immediately issued a top-level 'black' travel alert for the Philippines.^[5]

^{Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_hostage_crisis}

What Went Wrong?

THE TRAINING

Hostage situation may happen anytime and at anywhere. In dealing with, a Standard Procedure must and is a MUST to follow and a training must be carried out.

This is just a training, but it handles the situation. See the videos below:

In a minute, the assault is done and accomplished. but, on the day that a real situation was to be carried out... a real crisis happened.

The video below shows how they executed the plan, but later on it fails.

Full Coverage of the Hostage Siege: http://www.pinoytambayan.tv/2010/08/24-oras-08232010.html

Some reasons into why the MPD SWAT had failed in their assault:

#1. MPD SWAT doesn't anticipated the actual condition of the bus. In their pre-assault practice it is done in broad daylight and the bus being used in pre-assault doesn't have window curtains in which they can easily locate and see the suspect. And lastly, the bus door is already open before they assault the bus.

In the actual video footage of the hostage siege, we could see that every window of the bus is covered with window curtains, the bus front and rear door are all closed, and the assault is done at night where there is no visibility of the hostages and the hostage taker inside the bus. They keep on hammering the front door, winshield and windows for over half an hour.

#2. The MPD SWAT assaulted without proper tools for breaching the bus. Some tools and equipment that is really important and a must have for a assaulting team:

How I wished they were and will be provided with all the necessary tools and equipments.

Corner Shot - with attached small camera in-front, a flashlight, and folded into a corner or blind sight of the target. Developed by Israel.

A Ladder, Breaching and Impact Tools, and Puller

Portable & Flexible Hole Camera

Flash Bang and Smoke Gas.

Kevlar, Helmet, Goggles & Gas Mask

Night Vision Device

Infrared Scope for Snipers.

#3. Video footage shows that, no coordination among the assault team on how and where they get in to the bus. Video shows that they are scattering around the bus trying to figure out what be the next move to execute. Expert says that when a flash bang or smoke gas is thrown, that signals the assault or breaching entry no matter what happend next. In the video, for how many times they thrown a tear gas, smoke gas, and a flash bang but none immediate movement from the assault team. Some failed to thrown it on the window hole where it bounce back to the assault team, then a second tries but still it fails. A funny thing to watch but it gives us an idea how important to include in their training the throwing or tossing of nades, gas, and/or a flash bang. I remember a one game that I played before, the Call of Duty II, before a soldier is set into a war, the soldier must undergo a brief training of handling a gun, sniping and including how to close attack an enemy. And the last part of the training is the throwing and tossing of potatoes (as a Grenade) into the building window and into the door. And when the soldier passed the training, he's set for the war.

Call of Duty 2, Throwing Potatoes (as Grenades)

#4. The live and continued coverage of the hostage siege shows the assault and the movement of the MPD SWAT from the outside. Report says, the bus is equipped with a TV and the blow-by-blow accounts of the broadcast media enabled Mendoza to monitor the sensitive police actions aimed at ending the standoff. “He was able to monitor our moves from the TV installed on the bus. Some of the radio reports even revealed the positions of our snipers. It really made our task more difficult,” the unidentified officer added.

The Hostage Crisis turns into a Hostage Critics, more says due to inadequate of training, lack of tools and equipment for the SWAT team. Other reasons came out after the initial investigation and review of the video footages.

What went wrong and who is to blame with, the tragedy shows an important thing, a view on how to deal with in such a kind of situation. As President Nonoy Aquino says "May mga pagkukulang. May mga magbabayad (There were lapses. Some people will pay),"

Hollywood actor and martial arts expert, Jackie Chan said in his Twitter account, that Hong Kong is built by many people. He also said" If they killed the guy sooner, they will say why not negotiate first? If they negotiate first, they ask why not kill the guy sooner? So sad."

Some videos that I personally collected to the internet that shows special course and training in handling hostage situation.