Revilla, Singson did not have hostage negotiator’s permission to go up Bus 914

By Ronron
March 31, 2007

The crisis committee that handled the March 28 hostage drama in Manila City did not permit Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. and senatorial candidate Luis “Chavit” Singson to go up the bus to personally negotiate for the release of all hostage victims.

This was revealed Saturday by the chief negotiator of the incident, Supt. Orlando Yebra of the Manila Police District (MPD), in an interview on DZMM.

“I wasn’t able to stop them. That I will admit,” Yebra said in Filipino.

Yebra said that in accordance with police operating procedures in handling hostage-taking incidents, any outsider is not allowed to communicate with the suspect unless permitted by the crisis committee, which is headed by the local chief executive. In the latest case, it was Manila City Mayor Lito Atienza.

Revilla was only allowed to communicate through cellular phone with hostage taker Armando Ducat, Jr. starting in the morning because he was requested by Ducat, Yebra said.

Ducat is a godfather to one of Revilla’s children.

But he was not allowed by the crisis committee to go up the bus where Ducat held hostage the 26 pupils and three teachers of the Day Care Center he built in Parola Compound, Binondo District, Manila City.

The same is true with Singson, who arrived at the site in late afternoon without prior knowledge by the police.

“Before they boarded (the bus), I reminded them again that that was not our agreement when we were at the command post. Nobody is boarding the bus. But they really wanted to… So, we had no other choice. We just hoped for the best, that nothing bad will happen,” Yebra recalled.

Revilla boarded the bus past 11 am, while Singson did the same at around 5:30 pm. Singson only alighted at around 7pm, together with Ducat and his fellow hostage-taker, Cezar Carbonell.

All victims were first released before the surrender of the two suspect.

Yebra said Singson was insistent to board the bus when they went near supposedly only to talk to Ducat.

“From the start, he wanted to board the bus. But I did not allow him. So, when we were near the bus already, I reminded him that our agreement is he will not board it. But he said, he was going inside, that it’s ok, and that nothing bad will happen to him,” Yebra said.

In an earlier interview, Singson, who is running under the administration’s Team Unity ticket, said he went to the site after receiving information that Carbonell looked for him. Carbonell used to take Singson’s photographs when the former was still working as a member of the press, said Singson.

Upon arrival at the site, Singson said he volunteered to go up the bus, confident that he will handle the situation well being a former policeman, to help secure the release of the children.

He maintained that his intention was to help, and not to promote his self for the upcoming election. If he wanted fame and credit, Singson said he should have raised the firearms and explosives he got from Ducat for photo opportunities, and then granted media interviews after the incident. But those things he did not do.

Asked if he saw any political color in Singson’s participation, Yebra said: “I can’t answer that because I am not a politician. I don’t know how politics go about.”

Aside from the lapse in failing to stop Revilla and Singson from boarding the bus, Yebra admitted to have also failed in containing the crowd, including the media.

But he belied the allegation of Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno that they were not acting outside of the orders of Atienza.

“He (Atienza) was the one who approved all our concessions with Ducat, like food, water, as well as the people who could talk to Ducat on the phone,” Yebra said.

He surmised that Puno must not have been properly briefed about the incident, especially that Atienza was not very visible in the media coverage since the media was focused on the bus and Revilla.

Yebra said he hopes that the higher ups in the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will be enlightened about what really happened with the investigation on the incident will start this coming week.

Puno last Thursday has ordered the relief of Manila Police District (MPD) acting Director Sr. Supt. Danilo Abarsoza and two other police officers for allegedly mishandling the crisis by not taking orders from Atienza.

Abarsoza, at that time, was the ground commander.

But PNP Chief Gen. Oscar Calderon prevailed upon his request not to push thru with the administrative sanction against Abarsoza, saying they have yet to hear their explanation.

The 10-hour hostage drama ended peacefully after Ducat got his request to air to the public his grievance against corruption in the government, his demand for an assurance from the government that the graduates of his pre-school will make it through college, and for the public to light candles in front of the bus to symbolize oneness in the fight against corruption.

He and Carbonell were already charged of serious illegal detention and illegal possession of firearms before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office./DMS