Dismissed Police Captain Rolando Mendoza waves from the bus where he held hostage its passengers, composed mostly of tourists from Hong Kong and three Filipinos, on Monday in front of the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. (Photo by LINUS G. ESCANDOR II)

Clad in a complete police uniform and armed with an M-16 rifle, a bemedalled dismissed official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday seized a tourist bus and held hostage 22 foreigners and three Filipinos to demand his reinstatement near the Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park in Manila.

Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo, Manila Police District spokesman, identified the disgruntled dismissed police officer as Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza.

Margarejo said Mendoza’s initial demand was for the Office of the Ombudsman to act swiftly and release its decision on his pending motion for reconsideration in connection with the administrative case filed against him and for the PNP to reinstate him.

Based on records, Mendoza was dismissed from the service last year due to alleged extortion.

As of 4:26 p.m. on Monday, 9 hostages (three kids, six adults) had released but authorities declined to divulge the suspect's other demands.

Six of the seven foreigners released are from Hong Kong. They are Tsan Yee Lai, 40; Fuchak Yin, 10; Wong Chin Nat, 12; Fu Chang Yin, 4; Diana Chan; and Lee See Kyu.

Police said Mendoza seized the Hong-Thai travel and tourist bus (TWU-799) at around 10 a.m. on Monday as it was about to leave Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila.

Mendoza was able to board the bus when he told the driver that he would just hitch a ride.

Once inside, he declared the hostage-taking and commandeered the bus until they reached Rizal Park. Mendoza was eventually killed as police gained control of the bus.

A handwritten note, signed by Mendoza, saying “BIG DEAL WILL START AFTER 3 PM TODAY” was stuck to the door of the bus.

A sign stuck to a window said “3PM TODAY DEAD LOCK”.

Also stuck to the bus door was a piece of paper with the handwritten message: “BIG MISTAKE TO CORRECT A BIG WRONG DECISION”. A larger piece of paper on the front windshield read, “RELEASE FINAL DECISION” and then what appeared to be details of his case.

So far, Margarejo said, Mendoza was cooperating with police negotiators.

“He was courteous. Ok naman siya. He's been cooperating,” he added.

Hong Kong's Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee told reporters authorities were very concerned about the incident.

Two officials were being sent to Manila and a hotline was being set up in Hong Kong for families of the hostages.

“The information we've received so far is that no one is injured,” Lee said in Hong Kong.

He said he hoped the incident would be peaceful resolved and the hostages were released “safely and as quickly as possible.”

Bemedalled cop

Mendoza is a bemedalled police officer who is just months away from his mandatory retirement from the police service, records from the Philippine National Police (PNP) revealed.

A record obtained by the Manila Bulletin from the PNP-Directorate for Police Records and Management (DPRM) revealed that Senior Inspector Mendoza obtained a total of 17 police service medals and a commendation for excellent job performance.

Among them are the Medalya ng Papuri, PNP Badge of Honor, Medalya ng Kasanayan, Medalya ng Kagalingan and Medalya ng Paglilingkod.

Mendoza is expected to bow out of police service on January 10, 2011 when he will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56.

A graduate of the Philippine College of Criminology, the 55-year old Mendoza entered the law enforcement service through the Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police (PC-INP) in 1981.

The police service apparently runs in the family of Mendoza, having a brother who is in active service with a rank of Senior Police Officer and a son with a rank of Police Inspector and assigned as deputy chief of Bangued town police in Abra.

Police records revealed that Mendoza joined and was absorbed in the PNP with a rank of Senior Police Officer 3 in 1991.

“Based on our records, he rose from the ranks, starting as a patrolman.

He was absorbed when the PNP is created in 1991,” a police source said.

Mendoza was promoted to Police Inspector (equivalent to lieutenant in the military) in 2002 and then to Police senior Inspector (captain) three years later. His assignment is mostly at the Manila Police District.

While it was not specifically cited in the police records, a police source said trouble began for Mendoza in 2008 when he and at least four other policemen were accused of extorting money from a chef whom they accosted allegedly for parking violation and possession of illegal drugs.

The chef was allegedly forced to eat shabu after failing to produce R200,000, but was later released when a friend allegedly gave P20,000 to one of the arresting officers.

As a result, Mendoza was meted a 90-day preventive suspension which was imposed from June 16 to September 14 in 2008. He was reinstated after the suspension was served.

But on February 16 last year, the PNP leadership ordered that he be dismissed from the service.

“I believe that what really depressed him is that the dismissal comes with an order that his retirement benefits be forfeited,” the police source said.

This was confirmed by Mendoza’s updated service records which stated in the February 16, 2008 order that the dismissal has accessory penalty of forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification from the government service.

Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz, Jr., PNP spokesman, said the PNP leadership has been closely monitoring the hostage-taking incident and is optimistic that he the situation will be resolved peacefully.

“The general guidance of the Chief PNP (Director General Jesus Verzosa) is to strictly observe to the letter the police operational procedures on hostage-crisis situations with paramount emphasis on the safety of the hostages, the police personnel on the ground, and the hostage-taker himself,” said Cruz.

The official said a Crisis Management Committee (CMC) has been activated shortly after news of the hostage-taking broke out, headed by Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno. The Committee, he said, is aimed at coordinating all actions of concerned police units and agencies. (With reports from Czarina Nicole O. Ong and Jeamma E. Sabate)

Manila hostage-taking updates

See also:

• Palace meets with PNP on hostage drama
• Chinese Embassy to RP: ensure safety of hostage survivors
• Gunman killed; gov't gains control of bus
• Gov't debriefing hostages
• Manila hostage-taking over
• Philippine hostage crisis ends with several hostages alive
• Hostages at Rizal Park
• Hostage-taker a decorated cop with 17 medals
• Mendoza an 'honest' policeman
• Hostage-taker dismissed due to alleged extortion
• Hostage-taker just wants to be reinstated
• 8 passengers released from tourist bus hijacked in Manila
• 7 released in bus hostage taking
• Ex-policeman in Philippines holds tourists hostage