Dismissed Cop, Now a Dead Cop

I have watched the live telecast of ABS-CBN news of the hostage taking by Rolando Mendoza in Quirino Grandstand today. For more than an hour I skip my trip to the rest room to make sure that I will not miss any update. My kids are also watching with me, I just don't know the emotional impact on them while watching the hostage taking. From time to time they were asking something on the news report by the field reporters. They missed Noah and Agua Bendita, the real life hostage drama ended at 9pm and by that time they should be at their beds.

Over exposure to media did not help in the situation. Now Rolando Mendoza is dead. Policemen should be trained more for situations like this, tourism in the Philippines will surely go down.

excerpt from yahoo.com: Police ended its assault of a hijacked bus where a lone gunman held hostage Hong Kong tourists since Monday morning.

Live TV shows several hostages coming out from the bus’ window.

Agence France Presse reported that four captives emerged from a bus alive, while the gunman was believed to have been killed.

Fifteen tourists from Hong Kong were believed to have been on the bus at the end of the 12-hour ordeal, and there were fears for the lives of the others who did not get off the bus immediately afterwards.

The body of the man believed to be the gunman, an ex-policeman who hijacked the bus in a desperate bid to get his job back, was seen slumped out of the main door of the vehicle.

Police confirmed that the ex-policeman was killed during the assault.

Earlier, Radio Mindanao Network reported that a child was hit by a stray bullet as police started its assault on the hostage-taker.