A Hostage-taker's Final Hour (part1)

Excerpts from hostage-taker, Captain Rolando Mendoza’s live interview with Radio Mindanao Network anchor Michael Rogas, shortly before the incident ended in a bloodbath on August 23.

MICHAEL ROGAS: Captain Rolando Mendoza, magandang gabi po sa inyo (Good evening to you)

CAPT. ROLANDO MENDOZA: Magandang gabi po (Good evening)

ROGAS: Si Michael Rogas po to ng RMN, kayo po’y hostage-taker tama po ba? (This is ROGAS Rogas of RMN. You are the hostage take, is that correct?)

MENDOZA: Tama po. (That is correct)

ROGAS: Sa pagkakataong ito ano po ba ang plano nyo? (At this moment, what is your plan?)

MENDOZA: Eh totoo me magandang balita na yung aming demand ay dala ni vice mayor, meron tumawag sakin na dala na ni vice mayor at any time eh iaabot na sa kin ay malalaman natin at kung kanyang dala (Ah, it’s true that there’s good news specific to our demand that will be brought by the vice mayor. Somebody called me up to tell me that it’s with the vice mayor and that he’ll hand it to me any time [soon]. Then we’ll know what he has [with him])

ROGAS: Ah ilan pa po ang hawak ninyo sa mga oras na ito na mga tao? (And how many people do you have captive at this hour?)

MENDOZA: Ah 15 po sila 15 pa Chinese national (They’re 15. 15 Chinese nationals)

ROGAS: Pag natanggap nyo po ba ang hinihingi nyo pakakawalan nyo na po ba sila? (Once you get what you want, will you set them free)

MENDOZA: Ah hindi pa kasi me demand pa akong kasi kung pabor sakin yung magiging desisyon at sasabihin na mali sila eh di ang akin naman, kuwan, eh yung aking magiging security naman. (Ah, not yet because I still have a demand that should the decision be in my favor and when they say they were wrong, for me, my security [will then be the concern])

ROGAS: Opo (Yes)

ROGAS: Ah ok, ano pa po ang mga hinihingi nyong demand maliban po dun sa pagwawalang sala sa kaso dyan po sa Ombudsman? Ano pa po maliban po sa security at mga pangyayaring ito? (Oh ok. What else have you been demanding aside from your acquittal on your case with the Ombudsman? What else aside from your security?)

MENDOZA: I want to see the order of the NCRPO restoring me to full duty status and can be of back wages na hindi nila ibinigay sakin during na ako’y nagtratrabaho naman. (...and the release of my back wages for the time that I’ve worked, which were not released to me)

MENDOZA: Sandali po at parating po dito si vice mayor. (Wait, the vice mayor is on his way here)

ROGAS: Pwede po wag po natin bitawan ang telepono, pwede nyo po ba iparinig sa amin ang yung nagaganap nyo pong usapan ni Vice Mayor Isko Moreno? (Will you please hold on to the phone? Can you please let us hear your ongoing conversation with Vice Mayor Isko Moreno?)

MENDOZA: Hahawakan po ng driver (The driver will hold [the phone])

ROGAS: Pumapasok na itong si Vice Mayor Moreno (The Vice Mayor is now entering the [crime] scene)

DRIVER: Dala na po ang papeles galing sa Ombudsman, natanggap na ang papel, binabasa na ni Capt. Rolando Mendoza ([Col. Yeba] handed the documents from the Ombudsman, [Mendoza] received the papers and is [currently] reading [its contents])

ROGAS: Kapitan, pwede po nating basahin sa ere yung nilalaman yung pong sulat sa inyo ng Ombudsman? (Captain, will you please read on air the contents of the Ombudsman’s letter to you?)

MENDOZA: From the office of the Ombudsman; Police Insp. Rolando Mendoza, Manila Police District, UN Avenue, Manila

Dear Captain Rolando Mendoza,

As per our conversation this afternoon, I hereby confirm that I shall personally review in your simple reconsideration that you have filed in your case at the moment the record of the case at the lawyer whom that I have assigned to take the pre-slip in do case, I shall require him to tell haven’t the to whom record to the case. I hope you take my word for that. I thank you for understanding my position as I? understand your.. basura sa’kin ‘to, basura itong sulat na ‘to, ‘di ito, ‘di ito ang kailangan ko. (For me, this is trash. This letter is trash. I don’t need this)

ROGAS: Ok, ano po ang plano nyo, yan di po pinagbigyan ang…. (Ok, what are your plans now that [your demand] was not granted ...)

MENDOZA: Basura to sakin, di ito ang kailangan ko. Ang kailangan ko ay desisyon nila, reversing or not reversing. Yun lang yung thank you for the effort of the mayor and the vice mayor, di ko kailangan yang sulat ng yan sir. (This is trash, this isn’t what I need. What I need is their decision, reversing or not reversing. That’s that. Thank you for the effort of the mayor and the vice mayor, [but] I don’t need this letter, sir)

ROGAS: Ano po ang plano nyo ngayon, ano po ang gusto nyo? (What do you plan on doing now? What do you want?)

MENDOZA: Walang nilalaman yan eh, walang ibig sabihin nun, wala walang ibig sabihin nyan sir. Ang sinasabi nya lang paiimbistiga nya, eh kung ganun din wala din mangyayari dyan, wala sir. Wala sa kin ang papel na yan kapag yung sinabi nya yan dismiss na talaga, walang mangyayari dyan sir. (It doesn’t contain anything. It doesn’t mean anything, nothing, sir. All she [Ombudsman] is saying is that she’ll have it investigated. If that’s the case, nothing will happen, nothing, sir. That [piece of] paper is meaningless to me unless it says the case has really been dismissed)

ROGAS: Kapitan, ano po ang plano nyo ngayon? (Captain, what are your plans now?)

MENDOZA: Ito, sasampulan ko to sir, tabi, magsialis kayo… di ko kailangan yan sir, walang sinasabi yan …ikaw abogado ka… walang nilalaman yan (I’ll make an example of this one, sir. Get out of the way. I don’t need that, sir. It doesn’t say anything, nothing. You’re a lawyer. That has nothing on it)

ROGAS: Kapitan, sandali po, kalma lang po tayo. (Captain, wait, calm down)

ROGAS: Kapitan, hinay-hinay lang po… Ano po plano po ninyo ngayon di po kayo napagbigyan, tatawagan po namin ang Ombudsman sa mga oras na ito. (Captain, take it easy. What are your plans now that your demand was not granted? We’ll call the Ombudsman at this time)

MENDOZA: Malamang me mangyayaring masama dito sa loob ng bus. (Most probably something bad is going to happen inside the bus)

ROGAS: Sandali lang, sa pamamagitan namin ng RMN, ano po ang gusto n’yong ipanawagan natin? (Wait, through RMN, what do you want to us to say [to concerned authorities]?)

MENDOZA: Ang gusto ko ngayon aksyonan nila ngayon, aksyunan nila, ireview nila ngayon kasi ang tagal na nyan 9 months na yan natutulog, reviewhin nila ngayon, magbigay sila ng desisyon kung ako ay o dismiss o reversion of dismissal order o whatsoever. Yan ang gusto kong mangyari. (I want now for them to act now. Act. Review it now because that has been pending for so long, that [case] has been sleeping for 9 months. Let them review it now, give a decision whether I am to be dismissed or reverse the dismissal order or whatever. That is what I want to happen)

ROGAS: Yun pong nagabot sa inyo ng papel ay si Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, tama po ba? (The one that handed the paper to you is Vice Mayor Isko Moreno is that right?)

MENDOZA: Di po, si Colonel Yebra yung negotiator. (No, Col. Yeba, the negotiator)

ROGAS: Sino po ang gusto nyong makausap kapitan Rolando Mendoza? (To whom do you want to talk Captain Rolando Mendoza?)

MENDOZA: Gusto ko yung mga siga diyan sa WTV, yung gustong maging siga, ’yan ang gusto kong kausap. ’Yung gusto maging sikat. (I want the tough guys there at the WTV, those who want to be tough, they’re the ones I want to talk to)

ROGAS: May narinig ho kaming tunog kanina parang, ano ’yon, putok ng baril? (We heard something a little while ago, what was that, gunfire?)

MENDOZA: ’Yun nga ’yung putok ng baril sa ’kin nga galing ’yun. Nag-warning shot ako kay colonel kasi nga panay kasinungalingan ang ginagawa nya. Ang sabi niya binalik nya ang baril ng kapatid ko iyon pala hindi pala, anong katotohanan ang natatanggap ko sa kanya? (That’s gunfire, it came from me. I fired a warning shot at the Col. because he’s mostly been lying [to me]. He said he’d return my brother’s gun. It turns out he didn’t. What truth have I gotten from him?)

MENDOZA: Itong sitwasyon na ito lalala ito ’pag di nila nagawa ang gusto ko. Sabi ko nga itong nasa pinto ng bus ay lalagyan ko ’to mamaya pag ’di naging maganda ang usapan. (This situation here will worsen if they don’t do as I wish. Like I said, the one here at the door of the bus, I’ll put [a bullet in him] later if talks don’t go well)

MENDOZA: Yun nga yung Ombudsman ay ang sabi rereviewhin, rerepasuhin. Ang gusto ko dalhin nila ngayon dito ang order. (The Ombudsman said they’ll review, review. What I want is for them to bring the order here now)

MENDOZA: Kaya po ako nagpaputok, kaya po ako nagpaputok ay dahil nalaman ko na ako pala’y niloloko ng negosyador ni Colonel Yebra! … Siya ang negosyador dapat siya ang hindi nagsisinungaling! (That’s why I fired the gun, I fired the gun because I learned that the negotiator Colonel Yebra has been making a fool of me. He’s the negotiator. He’s the one who shouldn’t be lying)

ROGAS: Nasan na po yung sulat na binigay sa inyo? (Where is the letter that was given to you?)

MENDOZA: Ibinigay ko yung dalang sulat, ibinalik ko, eh nakikiusap lang na maging peaceful ako, na maging kalmado at pagbigyan ko nga, ay hindi ganun kadali yon… Ayan oh may nakita akong sniper ha! Ay sabihin mo sa kanya baka hindi niya kayang i-sniper yung nakatayo sa harapan ng bus ha! Baka sabihin mo din sa umii-sniper baka hindi nila kayang patamaan yung nasa loob ng bus ha, kayang kaya kong patamaan yung nasa pintuan, kaya kamo ay bitawan ’yang mga sniper na yan. (I gave the letter back. All it’s saying is that I should be peaceful, calm, give in. It’s not that easy. There, I saw a sniper. Tell him that perhaps he couldn’t shoot the man standing in front of the bus. Maybe you should also tell the sniper that perhaps he can’t shoot those inside the bus. I can shoot the one by the door, so tell them to call of that sniper)

ROGAS: Okay naririnig po kayo ngayon sa pamamagitan ng RMN. Naririnig po kayo ng mga pulis, meron po ba kayong pakiusap dun sa mga sniper na sinasabi ninyo? (Okay, you’re heard [live] now through RMN. The police can hear you. Is there something you want to ask of the snipers you’ve been talking about?)

MENDOZA: Ah yung mga sniper eh pag ’di sila nagsi-alis sa kanilang puwesto ay sasampolan ko sila at ii-snipe-in ko kamo yung nasa pintuan! (The snipers, if they don’t leave their posts, I’ll give them an example and snipe at the hostage by the door)

ROGAS: Opo … si Erwin Tulfo po yung aming kasama ay nariyan po ngayon, alam ko po na napapakinggan niyo po si kasamang Erwin Tulfo kanina … kilala niyo po ba si Erwin Tulfo? (Yes, Erwin Tulfo, our colleague is there right now. I now you were able to hear Erwin Tulfo a moment ago. Do you know Erwin Tulfo?)

MENDOZA: Kilala kong personal yan, galing ng Manila ’yan. (I know him personally, he’s from Manila)

ROGAS: Capt. Rolando Mendoza gusto niyo po ba si Erwin Tulfo ang lumapit sa inyo at pumuntang personal? (Capt. Rolando Mendoza, do you want Erwin Tulfo to approach and go to you personally?)

Read [PART 2] [PART 3]