President Noynoy Aquino gets flamed for botched Quirino Grandstand hostage rescue

(reposted from the Inquirer)

Aquino censors Facebook page over hostage crisis bashing


Agence France-Presse
First Posted 06:40:00 08/26/2010

Filed Under: Internet, Benigno Aquino III, censorship, Social networking, hostage taking, Grandstand Hostage

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III censored his Facebook page Wednesday after internet users ignored an appeal to stop bashing his government over its handling of the deadly hostage crisis.

Aquino banned slanderous and defamatory comments and posts, swear words and racial insults, as well as "below the belt attacks", from his Facebook account followed by 1.9 million fans.

"We reserve the right to block anyone who fails to follow these rules and report them as spammers to Facebook," he wrote on his site.

Aquino's official Facebook page was set up to promote transparency and his anti-corruption drive, but it has become a repository for angry comments about Monday's hostage crisis in Manila in which eight Hong Kong tourists died.

Posts on his Facebook page have ranged from barbs against bungling policemen to calls for him to quit, and they continued even after Aquino appealed in an initial post on Wednesday morning for them to stop.

"Shame on you and your government. Tender your resignation now," wrote Elfis Lee, a Hong Kong resident.

"Your incompetence of leading your untrained stupid police force caused such a tragedy."

Another comment from Jay Rodrigo apologized on behalf of Filipinos, but had strong words about his feelings towards Aquino, who won the presidency by a landslide in May but whose popularity now appears to be taking a direct hit from the tragedy.

"You see, our president is a retard who has done nothing but smirk in front of the TV cameras after all that has happened," he wrote on the page.

"He's slowly killing our country coz of his stupidity."

Both messages appeared to have been scratched from Aquino's Facebook shortly after he issued his warning on Wednesday afternoon that he would censor the site.

An ex-policeman, Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, seized a busload of 22 Hong Kong tourists and three Filipinos on Monday, triggering an 11-hour standoff that ended in a bloodbath following a police assault.

Reaction to the Quirino Grandstand hostage taking

Did the Philippine media's live coverage of the Quirino Grandstand hostage taking situation botch the hostage negotiations? According to one media guideline, YES.

Always assume that the hostage taker, gunman, or terrorist has access to the reporting. 

Avoid describing with words or showing with still photography and video any information that could divulge the tactics or positions of SWAT team members.

Challenge any gut reaction to "go live" from the scene of a hostage-taking crisis, unless there are strong journalistic reasons for a live, on-the-scene report. Things can go wrong very quickly in a live report, endangering lives or damaging negotiations. Furthermore, ask if the value of a live, on-the- scene report is really justifiable compared to the harm that could occur. 

Nelson Poynter Scholar for Journalism Values 

Other related posts:

Ten mistakes of the Philippine police at the Quirino Grandstand hostage taking

Hongkong's outrage over the Quirino Grandstand Hostage taking

KBP (Filipino media standards code) on Crime and Crisis


It ended in a bloodbath.

Killed were eight hostages and the lone hostage taker, a dismissed policeman named Roland Mendoza -- whom reports say resorted to the hostage taking to demand his reinstatement.

According to reports, negotiations for the release of the hostages had been uneventful until violence erupted when Mendoza allegedly saw his brother on television, who was at the scene, being arrested and dragged away by the police.

There were 15 Chinese tourists and a Filipino driver being held in the bus when the violence erupted.

President Noynoy Aquino has issued a statement offering condolences to the families of the victims in the tragic hostage taking incident.

On Facebook, Filipinos registered their dismay over the handling of the hostage crisis -- some questioning the training of the policemen at the scene and others blaming Filipino media on the scene for ignoring guidelines on covering hostage taking situations.

Filipino reporters took to spreading links to Nelson Poynter's Guidelines for covering hostage taking situations.

In covering an ongoing crisis situation, journalists are advised to: 

• Always assume that the hostage taker, gunman, or terrorist has access to the reporting. 

• Avoid describing with words or showing with still photography and video any information that could divulge the tactics or positions of SWAT team members.

• Fight the urge to become a player in any standoff, hostage situation, or terrorist incident. Journalists should become personally involved only as a last resort and with the explicit approval of top news management and the consultation of trained hostage negotiators on the scene.

• Be forthright with viewers, listeners, or readers about why certain information is being withheld if security reasons are involved. • Seriously weigh the benefits to the public of what information might be given out versus what potential harm that information might cause. This is especially important in live reporting of an ongoing situation.

• Strongly resist the temptation to telephone a gunman or hostage taker.Journalists generally are not trained in negotiation techniques, and one wrong question or inappropriate word could jeopardize someone’s life.

Furthermore, just calling in could tie up phone lines or otherwise complicate communication efforts of the negotiators.

• Notify authorities immediately if a hostage taker or terrorist calls the newsroom. Also, have a plan ready for how to respond. 

• Challenge any gut reaction to "go live" from the scene of a hostage-taking crisis, unless there are strong journalistic reasons for a live, on-the-scene report. Things can go wrong very quickly in a live report, endangering lives or damaging negotiations. Furthermore, ask if the value of a live, on-the- scene report is really justifiable compared to the harm that could occur. 

• Give no information, factual or speculative, about a hostage taker’s mental condition, state of mind, or reasons for actions while a standoff is in progress. The value of such information to the audience is limited, and the possibility of such characterizations exacerbating an already dangerous situation are quite real.

Another reaction on Facebook said that it was a bad idea to involve a relative of the hostage taker in the negotiations.

At least, this time around, unlike the Manila Hostage taking in 2007, Senator Bong Revilla and Chavit Singson didn't appear on the scene to negotiate with the hostage taker.