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Filipina murder by the American husband

Filed Under : Crime, Marriage, Right & Justice, Wolrd news by Ailyn
Sep.1,2010

CADWELL, Idaho – A Filipino woman with family ties in Chicago was shot and killed Sunday evening in Caldwell, following a reported dispute with her estranged husband.

Caldwell is approximately 45 minutes west of Idaho’s state capitol of Boise.

Chris Allen Stone has been charged with second degree murder after allegedly shooting Florence Madriñan-Stone twice in the head, according to a statement by Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney John T. Bujak.

On Sunday evening, Sheriff deputies reportedly responded to a call about a shooting incident.

When police arrived, they saw Madriñan-Stone “slumped in the back of a mini-van in the driveway” of the residence. Sheriff’s Captain Dana Maxfield described the death to Idaho news outlets as “a domestic situation that’s gone horribly wrong.”

Following his arrest, Stone reportedly gave conflicting information as to the circumstances leading to the shooting. While being treated at a local hospital, investigators said Stone claimed “self defense”.

He said the victim stabbed him first in the stomach. That’s when he pulled out his pistol and allegedly fired 2 shots into the back of her neck.

Later, when police pointed out discrepancies in his story, police said Stone changed his statement. Stone then told police that his wife told him that she only married him for a green card. He said the statement “set him off” and he pulled out his gun.

The prosecutor told reporters: “Self defense is something that a judge or a jury is going have to take a look at. Because we’re talking about bullets shot to the back of the head; it’s difficult for me to claim self defense on those facts.”

Stone has been charged with second degree murder. If convicted, he could face a mandatory minimum 25 years, up to life in the Idaho State Penitentiary, the Idaho Press Tribune said. Stone is in police custody. His bond is set at $1 million.

According to a cousin and friend from Chicago, Madriñan-Stone had been living separately with her husband. They said the couple was in the middle of a divorce. They had been married for more than 10 years and have 2 children.

A native of Zamboanga del Norte, Madriñan-Stone finished her secondary education at the Saint Vincent’s High School in Dipolog City in 1994.

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Cops sanctions for posted Facebook photos

Filed Under : Lifesytle, Manila tourist Hostage, Website, indecent behaviour by Ailyn
Aug.30,2010

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine police said Monday they may punish officers who posted Facebook photos of themselves posing and smiling beside a hijacked bus where Hong Kong tourists were shot dead during a hostage crisis.

The pictures, which were taken after the hijacking and before the bullet-riddled bus was removed from the street, were circulated on the social networking site as well as other online forums.

The emergence of the pictures has stoked anger over the handling of the crisis, in which eight hostages and the gunman died, and the perceived insensitivity of Philippine authorities in the aftermath of the tragedy.

“They are being asked to explain why they did that act,” metropolitan Manila district police chief Director Leocadio Santiago told ANC television.

“Was it conducted with malice, what was their intention?”

He said those in the photos clearly violated a police rule on proper decorum, and could be demoted pending results of an investigation.

Santiago said three of the police officers had already been identified, while four others were still being sought.

“The Facebook photos are a public document. We can use that for and against them, they can be held accountable for that,” Santiago said.

A sacked police officer hijacked a busload of Hong Kong tourists in the heart of Manila last Monday, in a bid to be cleared of extortion charges and get his job back.

The 12-hour standoff ended in a botched assault by police with the events aired live around the world on television.

The crisis triggered public anger in Hong Kong and mainland China, with many questioning the competence of the police amid their own admissions of blunders.

Aside from the perceived bungling of the situation, tensions have been inflamed by the response of Philippine authorities in the days after the hijacking.

President Benigno Aquino apologised to people in Hong Kong after he was seen smiling at a press conference called shortly after the ordeal ended.

The Chinese embassy in Manila also released a statement on Friday expressing outrage after television footage showed a Philippine national flag draped in honour over the gunman’s coffin a day before his funeral.

Following the statement, the Philippine government quickly acted to have the flag removed.

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Transcript of hostage-taker’s last radio interview

Filed Under : Crime, Manila tourist Hostage, Tv network by Ailyn

MANILA, Philippines – A transcript of hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza’s last conversation with a radio broadcaster showed that he was willing to die during the August 23 hostage incident in Manila.

Mendoza talked with Radio Mo Nationwide (RMN) anchor Michael Rogas during the 11-hour hostage incident at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park.

In one part of the interview, Rogas asked the hostage-taker if he wanted food brought to the tourist bus for himself and his 25 hostages.

Mendoza answered: “Ako po ay nakalaan na akong magutom. Kanina pa ‘ko hindi kumakain dahil alam ko na magiging sitwasyon sa buhay ko. Handa na kong mamatay ngayong araw na ‘to.”

(It’s OK for me to go hungry. I haven’t eaten because I know what my situation in life will be. I am prepared to die this day.)

He also revealed that he had spoken to Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and told her that she would be at fault if anything bad happened to the hostages. Mendoza had asked the Ombudsman to dismiss all the cases against him.

“I talked to Gonzales and Gutierrez and told them: You are at fault if this gets worse,” the hostage-taker told Rogas.

Below is a partial transcript of Mendoza’s RMN interview as aired on a GNN report:

MICHAEL ROGAS: Captain, sa papaaanong paraan po ninyo gustong matapos itong isyung ito, itong sitwasyong ito? (Captain, how do you want this issue, this situation to end?)

MENDOZA: Ayun nga, yung Ombudsman, ang sabi, re-review-hin, rerepasuhin. Ang gusto ko, dalhin nila rito ngayon ang order kung ako’y talagang dismissed. Yung final order nila na ako’y dismissed o na-issue-han ng dismissal order. Yun ang gusto kong mangyari: final order. Yung ginawa kanina, sulat lang ‘yun. Para ako’y ma-satisfy sa harap ng aking in-laws. Hindi tama ‘yun, mali ‘yun.

(They said the Ombudsman will review my case. What I want is for them to deliver the order if I’m really dismissed from service. The final order, saying I’m dismissed or was issued a dismissal order. That’s what I want: final order. What they delivered earlier was just a letter. For me to be satisfied in front of my in-laws. That was wrong.)

MICHAEL ROGAS: Kapitan, meron po kayong pakiusap sa pamamagitan po ng RMN, nakikinig po ang mga pulis ngayon. May pakiusap kayo sa pulis, lalung-lalo na dun sa mga sniper?

(Captain, is there anything you want to tell the police? They are listening to the RMN radio station right now. Do you have anything to say, especially to the snipers?)

MENDOZA: ‘Yang mga sniper, pag hindi sila nagsialis sa kanilang mga pwesto ay sasampolan ko sila. Ii-snipe-in ko ‘kako itong nasa pintuan.

(These snipers, if they won’t go away, I’ll give them a sample. I’ll shoot this one at the door.) Note: Masa Tse, the tour guide, was handcuffed by Mendoza at the door of the bus. He was eventually killed.

MICHAEL ROGAS: Ok, sa oras na ito, na quarter to seven na po ang oras dito po sa aming himpilan. Quarter to seven na ng gabi. Ano na po ang huling desisyon ninyo? (Ok, it’s now quarter to 7 p.m. What is your final decision?)

MENDOZA: Eh wala na po. Kasi nakikita ko ang dami nang SWAT na dumarating. Ang daming SWAT na dumarating, nakikita ko sa palibot. Ako naman, alam ko papatayin din nila ako. Kaya magsialis na sila dahil anytime, gagawin ko din ‘yun dito.

(I see a lot of SWAT coming. Many SWAT members are here, I see them all around. I know they are going to kill me. They should go away because anytime, I’ll do the same here on the bus.)

MICHAEL ROGAS: Sino na po talaga ang gusto ninyong makausap maliban po sa media? (Who else do you want to talk to besides the media.)

MENDOZA: Eh yung pinaka reliable. Yung totoo ang sasabihin sa ‘kin kasi ayaw ko yung sinisinungalingan lang ako.

(Someone who is really reliable, who will tell me the truth. I don’t want someone who will just tell me lies.)

MICHAEL ROGAS: Sino yun? (Who is that?)

MENDOZA: Media. Media lang din. (Media. I just want the media.)

At this point of the interview, Mendoza is watching on TV the arrest of his brother, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza.

MENDOZA: Oh, yung kapatid ko nakikita ko, bakit nila ginaganyan? Akong may kasalanan dito, walang kasalanan ‘yan! Walang kasalanan ‘yan. Ipakita niyo na pinakawalan ninyo kapatid ko! Ipakita nila, pagka hindi titirahin ko ang mga nandirito sa loob!

(I can see my brother, why are they doing that? I’m the one at fault here, not him! He’s not at fault. Show me that he’s being freed! Show me or else I’ll start shooting the people here!)

MICHAEL ROGAS: Kalma lang po… (Please remain calm…)

MENDOZA: Sabihin mo sa kanila, sabihin mo sa kanila ‘yan! (Tell them that, tell them that!)

MICHAEL ROGAS: Opo, tinatawagan na po. (Yes, we’re already calling.)

MENDOZA: Ipakita nila, ipakita nila dito sa kaliwa, sa kaliwa! Makita ko sa kaliwa ng bus. Palakarin nila ang kapatid ko diyan! Pagka hindi… ito, talagang ano. Aanuhin ko dito lahat-lahat.

(Show it, show it at the left! Make sure I see it at the left side of the bus. Make my brother walk away! Or else, I’ll… I’ll…)

MICHAEL ROGAS: Opo, tinatawagan na po namin ang PNP. Easy lamang po. (Yes, we’re already calling the Philippine National Police. Please take it easy)

MENDOZA: Wala naman kasalanan yang kapatid ko. Hindi nila alam ang pangyayari dito. (My brother is not fault. They didn’t know what’s happening here.)

MICHAEL ROGAS: Kalma lang po tayo dahil kami na po ay nakikipag-ugnayan na po sa PNP. Humuhupa na rin naman po ang mga pulis, ano po. (Please stay calm because we are now contacting the PNP. The police are also starting to calm down…)

MENDOZA: Ayan o, binibitbit ‘yung kapatid kong pulis. Walang kasalanan ‘yan, bakit nila bibitbitin yan? Sasabihin nila, accessory, hindi accessory ‘yan! Ako lang mag-isa ang gumawa nito. Ayan nakikita ko. Nakikita ko ‘yung ginagawa nila sa kapatid ko, ayun o! Pulis yan eh, walang kasalanan ‘yan! Walang kasalanan ‘yan!

(There! They’re arresting my brother who’s a cop. He’s not at fault, why are they taking him? They’d say, accessory, he’s not an accessory! I’m the only one who did this. I can see it. I see what they’re doing to my brother. He’s a cop, he’s not part of this. He’s not part of this!)

MENDOZA: Pakawalan nila ‘yan, pagka hindi, eto, babarilin ko ‘yung nasa unahan! Sabihin mo sa kanila. Sabihin mo sa kanila. Ayan o, nakikita ko rito, ayun o, nasa TV. Ginagawa nilang baboy ang kapatid ko na pulis! Walang kasalanan ‘yan! Hindi niya alam ang pangyayaring ito. Ngayon niya lang nalaman sa TV. Bakit nila gaganyanin? Wala ‘yan. Walang kasalanan ‘yan!

(Let him go, or I’ll shoot this one at the door! Tell them that. Tell them that! I’m seeing it here, it’s on TV! They’re treating my policeman brother like a pig! He’s not at fault. He doesn’t know anything. He knew this just now on TV. Why are they doing that to him? He’s not a part of this!)

MENDOZA: Ayun o. Ito, lalala lamang ito sa ginagawa ng mga pulis na ‘yan! Sabihin mo sa kanila. P*tangina! O, hindi nila pakakawalan ‘yan? P*tangina! Oh, babarilin ko na ito! Pakawalan ninyo ‘yan! Babarilin ko na ito!

(This will only get worse because of what the police are doing! Tell them that! [expletive] They won’t set him free? [expletive] I’ll shoot this person! Set him free! I’m going to start shooting!)

MICHAEL ROGAS: Sandali po. Huwag po kayong magpapaputok. Captain Mendoza… (To Erwin Tulfo) Pakibilisan lang yung ground commander…

(Hold on. Do not fire your gun. Captain Mendoza… (To Erwin Tulfo) Erwin, please hurry to the ground commander…)

MENDOZA: Ayan pinosas na! ‘Pag hindi nila pinakawalan ‘yan, babarilin ko na ‘to! (They already handcuffed him! If they won’t set him free, I’ll shoot this person!)

MICHAEL ROGAS: Captain Mendoza, tinutulungan na po namin kayo… (Captain Mendoza, we’re already helping you…)

MENDOZA: Wala dinederetso-diretso nila. Pag umalis at hinuli nila kasama ang kapatid ko, babarilin ko yung nasa unahan, Babarilin ko na ‘tong lahat-lahat.

(They just went through with it. If they go away and bring my brother, I am going to shoot the one in the front. I am going to shoot everybody.)

MICHAEL ROGAS: Captain Mendoza! Captain Mendoza! At this point, Mendoza is no longer speaking to the interviewer as a commotion ensues inside the bus.

He later told the interviewer that he had shot 2 of the Chinese tourists and that he would kill everyone on the bus if the SWAT team does not go away.

MENDOZA: Binaril ko na yung 2 Chinese. Pagka hindi nila binago yung ganitong sitwasyon, ako mamamaril dito sa loob. Uubusin ko ‘to! Uubusin ko pagka hindi sila tumigil ng kakatakbo diyan sa gilid. Uubusin ko to!

(I shot 2 of the Chinese. If they don’t change the situation, I’m going to start shooting in here.

I’ll finish off everyone! I’ll kill everybody if they don’t stop running beside the bus. I’ll finish off everyone!)

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Bodies & survivors of Manila hostage drama head home

Filed Under : Crime, Manila tourist Hostage by Ailyn
Aug.25,2010

MANILA, Philippines — Most survivors of a tragic hostage drama were returning home to Hong Kong along with the bodies of eight slain tourists Wednesday, while the Philippines grappled with outrage over police mishandling and botched negotiations with the gunman.

The interior secretary acknowledged police were ill-prepared and that a series of lapses might have instigated bloodshed Monday when the hostage-taker, a disgruntled ex-policeman demanding his job back, killed eight bus passengers and shot others before a police sniper killed him.

Nine other passengers had been released hours earlier and seven were rescued from the bullet-riddled bus, three of them is serious condition.

One of the wounded will remain in intensive care in Manila, and another will be brought back on a medivac plane, said Hong Kong Undersecretary for Security T.K. Lai.

The rest were to fly aboard a chartered plane to Hong Kong later Wednesday after a Buddhist ceremony and a send-off by military officers at the Manila airport, Philippine Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said.

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Bus driver said Hostage-taker got mad after brod’s arrest

Filed Under : Crime, Family, Right & Justice, indecent behaviour by Ailyn

MANILA, Philippines – A survivor in Monday’s 12-hour hostage drama in Manila said the hostage-taker started shooting the hostages after he saw his brother’s arrest on nationwide TV.

In a sworn affidavit, bus driver Alberto Lubang said hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza became very angry after he saw his brother, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, being carted away by police.

The incident was aired live on major news broadcasts and was seen by the hostage-taker through a TV inside the bus.

Lubang, who escaped by picking the lock on his handcuff, was one of 25 people on a Manila tourist bus that was hijacked by Mendoza in a bid to be reinstated in the police force.

Before the hostage-taking incident, Mendoza was a bemedalled police officer who was removed from his job after being linked to an extortion case.

In his account, the 38-year-old bus driver said he was picking up his 24 passengers, mostly tourists from Hong Kong, at the Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila when Mendoza, clad in bullcap, camouflage pants and carrying several firearms, approached his vehicle and asked where they were headed.

He said Mendoza asked for a ride after learning that they were going to the airport. It was at Rizal Park when Mendoza announced: “Sorry, mga hostage ko na kayo ngayon (Sorry, you are all my hostages now).”

A tour guide, Dianna Chan, translated the hostage-taker’s message to the 22 tourists, Lubang said.

Lubang said Mendoza handcuffed him to the steering wheel after reaching the Quirino Grandstand and said he would only hold the hostages until 3 p.m.
The hostage-taker also released 2 of the hostages after one of them complained of diarrhea.

Negotiations

Lubang said Mendoza initiated negotiations with Chief Inspector Romeo Salvador, whom the hostage-taker personally knew during his stint in Bicutan.

Referring to Salvador as “Bok”, the hostage-taker told the negotiators that he merely wanted to call the government’s attention to his motion asking for a review of his dismissal from the police force.

“Bok, yung lang kaso ko sa Ombudsman ang gusto kong madinig dito. Wag kayong mag-alala, wala namang mangyayari pag nasunod ang gusto ko. Pangako yan,” Mendoza said while giving Salvador and Superintendent Orlando Yebra a folder full of documents.

Yebra acceded to Mendoza’s request but asked that he release more hostages. The hostage-taker promptly released 3 kids and a woman hostage.

Lubang said Mendoza asked for food for the hostages but did not eat because he might end up feeling the need to go to the toilet. He said the food was brought in through the driver’s side window.

During the early part of the negotiations, Mendoza cracked jokes and even talked to the media via cell phone. The hostage-taker, Lubang said, did not take calls from his family because he did not want to weaken his resolve.

At one point, Mendoza also saw Salvador stopping his brother, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, from approaching the bus. He then called Salvador and asked him to give back his brother’s firearm, which was confiscated by police.

Mendoza’s brother also convinced the hostage-taker to extend the 3 p.m. deadline while authorities worked on his case.

Saved by a cuticle remover

The bus driver said it was nearly dark when the 2 negotiators, along with Mendoza’s brother, handed Mendoza a letter from the Ombudsman, promising the hostage-taker that his case would be reviewed in 10 days.

He said Mendoza read the letter and said: “Hindi ito ang hiling ko. Basura ito. Ibalik niyo to. Wala naman diyan ang gusto kong desisyon e (This isn’t what I asked. This is garbage. Bring it back. It doesn’t have the decision that I wanted).”

Lubang said the 2 negotiators tried to reason with the hostage-taker to no avail. He said Mendoza’s demeanor changed when his brother blurted out: “Tol, yung baril ko di pa rin binibigay (They haven’t returned my gun yet).”

The bus driver said Mendoza got mad after seeing his brother’s arrest during a live newscast. The hostage-taker saw the arrest on a TV set inside the bus.

“I heard him shouting ‘I will finish off all the hostages so you better release him,’” Lubang recounted.

He said Mendoza shot one of the tour guides who was handcuffed to a steel railing inside the bus. He then killed 2 more passengers who were only seated in the bus.

Lubang said he pleaded to the hostage-taker to release him but was told to start driving the bus. The bus had only gone a few feet when the police shot out the vehicle’s front tires.

The bus driver said he used a cuticle remover on his keychain to open his handcuff while Mendoza was shooting inside the bus. He escaped by jumping out of the bus window and ran to waiting mediamen and police and told them: “Patay na lahat (Everyone is dead).”

An assault on the bus, however, later showed that 7 of the 15 remaining hostages on board the bus were still alive.

In a TV Patrol interview, Lubang said he was questioned repeatedly by police about the hostage incident after his escape. He admitted that he thought everyone inside the bus had died after he heard the shooting.

“Nakita ko kasi na binari na silang lahat…so akala ko patay na talaga,” he said.

He also dispelled doubts that he was an accessory to the hostage-taking after his escape from the vehicle.

To the doubters, he said he still has the handcuff that he removed with the use of a cuticle remover.

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Survivor on Manila Hostage Taking

Filed Under : Crime, Right & Justice by Ailyn

Bang Lu Min Survivor, Quirino Bloodbath

Mr. Mendoza was already upset even before he saw on television what the policemen did to his brother. The other tourists who remained inside the bus were complaining.

Wei Ji Jiang wanted to go to the bathroom. Dao Chi Yu was hungry and the …rest were just groaning and whining like they have forgotten that our lives rest in Mr. Mendoza’s hands.

The hostage taker, as you know him was really nice. He treated us okay and even let the elders and the children leave the bus. He said your policemen treated him unfairly. He was a policeman too and was accused of doing something he had no knowledge of.

But your government didn’t listen so he used us to get everyone’s attention. Things would have never turned for the worst if he didn’t see how his family was dragged out of their house and taken into custody. He was watching the news all the time as we huddled around each other behind the bus.

He shouted some words in your language then started shooting in the air. A girl about my age started screaming. Mr. Mendoza demanded her to stop but she didn’t understand English. God, he had to slash her neck with a knife just to put her to rest. Her boyfriend who tried to hit him was shot in the head.

Tension was rising. You can see in his face how scared and confused he was. The bus driver ran away leaving him alone with strangers from a distant land. I can see him walking across the aisle, sometimes pointing his machine gun to one of the tourists. But he tried his best not to hurt us, especially those who really cooperate.

I guess its in your nature not to inflict pain on others unless it was necessary. I remember him saying that he will free us before sundown and implored us to forget everything when we return home. But his words don’t matter now. The policemen were trying to force their way in, while we all lied down to shield ourselves from bullets.

Mister Mendoza blindly shoots at his enemies which I think kept them from rescuing us. I hear sobs under the chairs. Some were even shouting the names of their loved ones even when the air merely eat their words. Kevin Tang tried to escape when the glass door was was shattered, but one shot and he slumped on the floor with blood gushing from his mouth.

Heavy rain pitter-pattered on the rooftop. In old Chinese saying, it means an end to a struggle. Finally, somebody was able to open the escape hatch at the back of the bus. Freedom. But I knew Mister Mendoza was still alive. I knew he was just waiting for a chance to strike back at his enemies. So I told those around me not to escape.

Let the authorities come for us instead. Then there was gunfire. He was firing at his enemies with a machine gun. Those who were at the escape hatch fled abandoning us once again. It’s like a nightmare with no end and to wake up means a certain death. Then somebody from outside the bus threw a canister.

It forced out a black smoke that is so painful to the eyes and putrid smelling to the nose. People started screaming. We cannot breathe. Some ran in front of the bus but Mister Mendoza warned them of stray bullets. It was too late. One was hit on the head, the other was hit on the shoulders. Bullets were now flying. Its like the authorities thought we were all dead.

Mister Mendoza finally admits his mistake and said sorry to everyone, dead or alive. He then ran towards the front of the bus where he would meet his maker. As he passed by my chair with bullets whistling overhead, I clutched my hand on the velvet curtain and wrapped it around my face.

All I could think of was to stay alive – for my child who is waiting for me back in Xinjang.I know I will survive, I will come home.

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China anger over Manila Hostage crisis

Filed Under : Manila tourist Hostage by Ailyn
Aug.24,2010

Chinese government demands answers over Manila poilice tactics that led to deaths of 8 Hong Kong tourists and gunman.

The Chinese government is demanding answers from the Philippines after the bungled handling of yesterday’s hostage standoff in Manila ended with the slaughter of eight Hong Kong tourist and their captor.

The Chinese foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, said his government was “appalled”, and telephoned his Philippine counterpart to demand a thorough investigation.

The Hong Kong chief executive, Donald Tsang, expressed sympathy for the victims and criticised the police response. “This is very tragic. And the way it was handled and particularly the outcome, I found it disappointing,” he said.

In a sign of his government’s fury, Hong Kong has issued a “black travel warning” for the Philippines, advising its residents not to visit the archipelago, and those already there to return.

As details emerged of heroism and horror on the bus during the 12-hour ordeal, the Philippine police faced a barrage of criticism for their response.

After the hostage-taker – an embittered former police officer, Rolando Mendoza – started shooting, the security forces struggled for more than an hour to board the vehicle and save the passengers. Six of the 14 hostages survived, including two British nationals.

The botched operation, seen live on TV by millions around the world, prompted the Philippine president, Benigno Aquino III, to call for more police training and better equipment.

The Manila police commander, Leocadio Santiago, admitted his recruits had made mistakes. “We saw some obvious shortcomings in terms of capability and tactics used, or the procedure employed and we are now going to investigate this,” he told local television reporters.

Survivors recalled the sudden escalation of the confrontation, which began when Mendoza – once considered a model police officer – boarded a tourist bus armed with an M16 rifle and demanded to be cleared of extortion and narcotics charges that led to his dismissal from the force in 2008.

He initially appeared ready to negotiate, releasing nine hostages – including children and the sick – and requesting food for the remaining passengers. At that point his brother, also a police officer, was acting as a go-between for the authorities.

Mendoza requested a signed promise from the city ombudsman that his case would be reviewed. The mayor, Alfredo Lim, a former Manila police chief, said an order was issued to reinstate Mendoza “just to accommodate his request, just to peacefully resolve this hostage situation”.

“But the problem was it wasn’t delivered before the shooting started,” he told a radio station. The message was apparently caught in traffic.

Why Mendoza started shooting is unclear. According to local police, he had an argument with his brother. Another report suggests he grew agitated after watching the TV in the bus and seeing his brother being taken away and disarmed.

Chaos ensued, but 10 police special forces armed with pistols and machine guns were slow to enter the bus, despite smashing the windows with sledgehammers and firing shots into the air. Mendoza used a hostage as a human shield to protect himself, before being killed.

Among the victims was the Asian managing director of the UK electronics manufacturer Stadium Group. Ken Leung, a Hong Kong citizen on holiday in Manila, died along with his two daughters, aged 14 and 21. His wife and 18-year-old son both survived, although the latter is in intensive care.

Mrs Leung told reporters: “”My husband is dead. he was very brave. He rushed forward from behind to stop him [the gunman] from killing. He sacrificed himself.”

Another survivor, Wang Zhuoya, said she hid under a seat when the gunman started shooting. “Then the police dispersed gas. People in the bus were struggling. I could hear that many people couldn’t breathe.”

A national police spokesman, Agrimero Cruz, commended the bravery of the rescuers and their success in saving eight lives, but he said an investigation would be carried out about how to improve their response. Some police commandos were not wearing helmets and lacked appropriate communication equipment and a ladder to climb through a window.

The killings have sparked anger in Hong Kong, where several dozen protesters outside the Philippine consulate chanted: “Strongly condemn the Philippine government for being careless about human life.”

The front-page headline of the local Ming Pao Daily News declared: “Filipino police incompetent.” An editorial in the Hong Kong Economic Journal said: “Clearly, if local police used more decisive and professional rescue methods, maybe the bloody tragedy could have been avoided.”

Internet commentators on the Chinese mainland were outraged. “It is not a rescue, it is a murder!” declared Jeasen.zhang on a Sina bulletin board. Another, going by the name Whoyoudaddy, said: “Maybe in the police’s view, the Philippine hostage taker’s life is more valuable than those Chinese hostages’.”

The British government has yet to comment on the incident, but confirmed that two of the survivors were British nationals. “We have offered consular assistance and stand ready to provide it if requested,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said.

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Miss Venus Raj 4th placer in Ms. Universe Pageant

Filed Under : Mis Philippines 4rth placer at Mis Univers Pagent, Showbiz, career by Ailyn

Miss Philippines, Venus Raj, was heavily applauded after being declared the fourth runner-up in this year’s Miss Universe pageant, participated in by 83 contestants from around the world.

Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete was crowned Miss Universe 2010, replacing Miss Universe 2009 Stefania Fernandez, who gave Venezuela a second consecutive win by taking the title at age 18 last year.

The South American country has won six titles since the pageant started in 1952. Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillipps was named first runner-up during this year’s pageant, hosted by Natalie Morales and Bret Michaels.

Miss Universe fourth runner – up Miss Philippines Venus Raj (left), first runner – up Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillips, Miss Universe 2010 Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete, third runner – up Miss Ukraine Anna Poslavska and finalist Miss Puerto Rico Mariana

The winners were announced after one final strut across the stage in the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. Before that, the top five tried their best to impress the panel of celebrity judges in the question and answer portion.

Raj, 22 was asked by judge William Baldwin, “What is one big mistake that you’ve made in your life and what did you do to make it right?”

“Thank you so much, Sir for that wonderful question,” she says and then greets the audience, met by wild cheering. “You know what, Sir in my 22 years of existence I can say that there is nothing major major, I mean, problem that I have done in my life. Because I am very confident with my family, with the love that they are giving to me. So, thank you so much that I am here, thank you thank you so much,” she answered.

Raj was almost replaced by Bb. Pilipinas runner-up Helen Nicolette Henson after being stripped of her crown and title when organizers of the Binibining Pilipinas-Universe pageant found “inconsistencies” on her birth certificate. Raj was advised by former Ms. Universe Gloria Diaz to let it go.

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Bb. Pilipinas 09 Melody Gersbach Die on Car Accident

Filed Under : Showbiz by Ailyn
Aug.21,2010

A Binibining Pilipinas beauty contest titleholder and two of her companions were killed after their car crashed into a passenger bus in Camarines Sur on this morning saturday August 21.

Reigning Bb. Pilipinas Melody Gersbach, her driver Santos Ramos and her manager Alvin Orense died on the spot after the car they were riding collided with a Guevarra bus at Barangay Pawili in Bula town at past 11 a.m. Saturday, according to a report aired over Bombo Radyo.

Camarines Sur provincial police director Col. Jonathan Ablang said in the report that Gersbach’s car came from Legazpi City in Albay and was heading to Naga City in Camarines Sur for a local beauty pageant when it figured in the accident.

The fatalities were brought to a funeral parlor in Barangay Anayan in Pili town after the accident, the report said. Gersbach competed in the Miss International pageant in China last November, where she secured a spot in the semi-finals.

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Lovers in Paris

Filed Under : Love life, Travel by Ailyn
Aug.20,2010

To go where books and movies brought you, and to find it lacking. Not even art and its contingent romance would allow for the overwhelming. Tell the boy who traveled through three countries to see you that you might cry when you see the Mona Lisa. Four hours after, inside and in tears for reasons beyond catholic art at the Sacre Cuir, he whispers, “Buti na lang hindi ka sa Mona Lisa umiyak.”

The things to see in Paris, replaced by who.

No arguments when the long lines in the museums were enough to turn you away, no compelling reason to stay where crowds braved their own shadows: art will spell the difference between being cultured and being tourist! There was no friendliness here, no dynamism. Dog eat dog world? Survive the tourists of Paris!

Walking the streets with refusal at every step, the notions of romance and love are slowly replaced by one sinking feeling – Paris is no magical place. That truth falls with a thud. It isn’t so much disappointment, as it is an uneasy feeling about a whole country as commercial entity, one that has been sold to a third world creature like you since forever, and here, engaged in some HHWWPSSP (holding-hands-while-walking-pa-swing-swing-pa), no one was biting.

It should’ve been a warning, the Paris Metro. What with its smell and dinginess, the unfriendly crowd, the contingent helplessness which quickly and necessarily transforms into a dirty finger: ckuf off. That is nothing but a matter of survival.

Which is not to say that the Eiffel Tower is any less overwhelming, or that the Arc Di Triomphe is any less majestic, or that skipping the Louvre was an option. But when the overwhelming becomes extraneous to the monuments of wonder, and the feeling is that of being exactly the same, with digital camera in one hand, a bottle of Coke on the other, then you do feel the pit of your stomach in the way that you can meet up with your shadow.

You didn’t go to Paris to feel the same, did you?

So you do it as the locals do. You sit on the grass in your short dresses forgetting to cover your legs, have coffee in tiny espresso cups instead of big Starbucks ones, do some public displays of affection because it isn’t allowed where you come from. And you look up at the sky because very few of them do.

As the boy takes your pictures, you take pictures of the tips of buildings, of the sun, of the clouds. You take them and make people disappear in your photos. You make them all disappear, looking farther than you ever have even as – maybe precisely because – you hold the hand of the boy who knew you at 12 years old.

You walk the red light district, which seamlessly happens on the streets of museums and the Sacre Cuir – the Church of the Sacred Heart – the most tourist-y of spots, where noise and quiet become din. In the midst of sex shops and women with big boobs and bleached hair, wearing lingerie that’s made for fantasies and not for procreation, you realize that this is testament to the legal and what it allows. Not just prostitution but a sense of what can be. What remains possible is an end in itself.

Where can romance lie, in the city of love?

Couples across sexualities populate the city, look at us, we’re allowed here! Too many sex-and-the-city friendships walk in groups of four, dressed to kill. Small padlocks are on bridges and monuments, with names of couples who wish for forever. In your head, what a horrible symbol for love = locked in one place = romance = careful what you wish for.

The boy shakes his head as you do. What to say when the shoe fits.

So through the huge museum that is the Louvre, you fight the noise by singing to yourselves, songs that are only between the two of you as a matter of being childhood sweethearts, as a matter of puppy love coming to bite you both when you least expect it. Maybe in the midst of old paintings and the Venus de Milo, you both realize what can still be, so long after the first courtship, far from who you were then.

And as you leave Paris and get on a train on its way to infinite destinations, you realize that you’re seeing the end of nostalgia with this boy, and the familiar is becoming nothing but new. You will deal, and fight, and agree, and laugh like you both haven’t in a long time. You both know now that your lives are intertwined in the way your fingers are. You know there are no accidents, only signs.

Paris, without love and romance, is on that train that moves swiftly away, you and the boy off on this trip of real possibilities at the extraordinary.

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