Quirino Grandstand Hostage Taking

Analysis - What Went Wrong

Monday, August 23, 2010

Shit. I haven't felt so angry at a live news feed in a long time. If I don't see heads rolling after this
incident, people resigning and shit, I will completely lose hope at our police force's chance of
ever improving. Here's a short rundown of the things that went wrong over the course of the
hostage taking drama that took place at Quirino Grandstand.

1. Firearms were used to take out the wheels of the bus. Rule #1 in hostage takings - no
unnecessary shots.

2. Too much media coverage. The hostage taker listened to the radio while inside the bus. Of
COURSE HE KNEW WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN. Rule #2 in hostage takings: Media
blackout.

3. Usage of hammers to breakdown the door. The door of a bus is designed to withstand 50Gs of
instantaneous force or more. A hammer will do nothing to break it in one hit. There's an
emergency lever under the bus that can be used to open the door. Nobody knew about it. Instead,
they proceeded to hammer all sides of the fucking bus like it's a pinata.

4. Teargas concentrates can kill hostages and hostage takers alike. Tossing it in a zero ventilation
environment is about as reckless as it gets.

5. Ununiformed officers ran too and from the scene, creating unnecessary chaos.

6. Flash photography from the dimwitted mediamen created confusion and unnecessary
distractions

7. SWAT didnt even use hand signals. They were shouting for crying out loud.

8. There was no armored cover. A vios, really? WHAT CAN A TOYOTA DO AGAINST A
RIFLE ROUND?

9. Zero crowd control. By the time the ordeal was over, reporters arrived at the bus even before
the medics did, and never left. The medics had a hard time entering the area.

10. ITS A BUS. NOBODY KNEW HOW TO HANDLE A HOSTAGE TAKING INSIDE A
BUS.

11. M16 rifles used for CQB. Anybody with a remote knowledge in urban close quarters should
know better.

12. Flashbangs are used once, just before entry. Tossing loads of them into a crowed-filled bus
will not kill the hostage taker.

13. Incompetence, sheer incompetence.

Today is a very sad day. I hope this becomes a wakeup call to authorities.

Update: Sorry if I sound too angry. I really am. I mean no offense to anybody here. I think the
worst part of the whole ordeal is that there simply was no clear plan. The police looked as
panicked as we were, making things all the worse. The cocksure statements of "ending it by
today" earlier this morning was a foreboding sign, and one that I prayed was wrong. At the end
of the day, nothing can be done to change what's already happened. Let's just hope this will be a
cue to institute change inside and around our security forces.