Quirino Grandstand Hostage Situation - Why hasn't anyone been fired?

It's been a day since the hostage drama at the Quirino Grandstand yesterday, when the sheer incompetence of the Philippine police was seen worldwide. I'm just wondering why no one has been sacked?

Even a moron can see that there were blunders, MAJOR, MAJOR blunders, at that! People are calling that SWAT team the worst SWAT team ever. They were too macho to ask for help from units who could have done better.

Also, bad decisions were made. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that arresting the hostage taker's brother would cause him to lose it. All they had to do was humor him and his brother until the hostages were freed. Agree to his demand to be reinstated. After the hostages are free, throw the book at him for hostage taking.

Worst of all, what kind of SWAT is this? No thermal imaging, no bullet-proof armor. And why were they using M-16's for close quarter combat? The assault was very clumsy! Some people say it's not the SWAT's fault because they don't have the equipment that other countries have. Maybe other countries' policemen have a monopoly on intelligence. I've seen kids play Counterstrike with better tactical plans. Also, what happened to all the tax money? They're supposed to be used for training and equipment and things like that. Another guy who was interviewed said that we had all the equipment, but that they weren't used!

I think it's very probable that some of the hostages were injured from police fire/sledgehammer attacks. I wonder what will happen when that comes out. We citizens should really use this incident constructively to demand for a cleaner, better, more professional police force.

I wish Horatio Caine was real and we can import him and his Sunglasses of Justice here. Now here's a thought - require all policemen to watch CSI, NCIS, Flashpoint, 24... and do a Check for Understanding quiz afterwards!

Quirino Grandstand Hostage Situation - Totally Incompetent Handling

Like millions of Filipinos, I was glued to the television the whole night tonight watching the hostage taking situation unfold, and increasingly dismayed and irritated at the incompetence I was seeing live.

Here's a quick rundown of the situation as I understand it:

1. On Aug. 23, at around 7:30am, a policeman entered a tourist bus in the Luneta area touring Manila Ocean Park. It was the tourists' last day in Manila and they were scheduled to go back to Hongkong later that day. The policeman first claimed that he was there to protect the tourists, but then took out a gun and told the people on the bus that they were now his hostages.

2. The policeman was ex-Capt. Rolando Mendoza. He demanded his reinstatement (he was dismissed and lost his retirement benefits. More on that here).

3. The whole day, negotiations seemed to be doing well. Mendoza asked for food and gas, and released hostages in return. Mendoza's brother Gregorio arrived to help with the negotiations and talk to his brother. We were following the story on TV the whole day.

4. At around 6:30pm, I was channel surfing when I saw the drama start to unfold. Mendoza's brother Gregorio was sitting on the ground surrounded by relatives and media, and police were trying to arrest him. Gregorio seemed hysterical and was claiming that the police had taken him "through the back" to kill him if anything went wrong and that he had just ran and was able to escape. He ran to the front of the police station to get protection through media attention.

5. The police then proceeded to grab the relatives surrounding Gregorio, all of whom refused to let go. There was also a lot of crying and screaming by the relatives, and police forcibly pulling the relatives apart. All this was shown on TV.

6. A few minutes after Gregorio was arrested, shots were heard from inside the bus. Some time after that, the bus driver was seen handcuffed to the steering wheel and seemed to be fumbling with something. Then the bus driver apparently escaped using a nailcutter, slid down from the window and kept screaming "Patay na lahat!" (Everone is dead).

7. The bus driver was taken into police custody apparently for debriefing (I hope). After that, police SWAT teams started surrounding the bus. They looked unprofessional and bumbling. Sorry, I was expecting Jack Bauer-like precision and professionalism. Using sledgehammers, they started smashing the windows and the door. They were having a hard time hitting the panes because the windows were high and the cops were trying to avoid being in the line of fire. Then the cop trying to break the bus door panes lost his grip on the sledgehammer and the hammer flew inside onto the bus steps. It was comical if it wasn't so sad. Then they had another bright idea - tie rope around the bus door and use a police pick-up truck to pull the door apart. When they tried this, the rope broke.

8. Shots were fired from inside the bus, leading the police to realize that the hostage taker was still alive. The hostage taker fired several times throughout this assault every time the police tried to get into the bus. A bystander (usisero) was injured.

9. Police fired into the bus and apparently kill the hostage taker. The hostage taker's body slumped out from the bus door. But the police were still cautious going into the bus.

10. Police get in and find some hostages still alive. All in all, 7 hostages were killed.


In my humble opinion, the police should not have arrested Mendoza's brother Gregorio on live TV. It's their prerogative to call for a media blackout, but in this case I think it was better that they didn't, so that everyone could see the level of their incompetence. Anyway, that was handled very badly. Even if he was suspected of being an accessory to the crime, they could have waited until the hostage situation was resolved before arresting Gregorio. Gregorio, being a policeman himself, probably knew what awaited him if he let himself be carted away, and that's why he acted all that drama on live TV over being picked up. In all likelihood, he would probably have been used as a bargaining chip to get Mendoza to surrender, like, "Surrender and let all the hostages go or we'll kill your brother!" Seeing his relatives being hauled off probably enraged Mendoza, who according to some reports asked for his relatives to be released or he would start killing hostages. A few minutes after, shots were heard from inside the bus. According to twitterdom, I am not the only one who thinks that the killings could have been avoided if Mendoza's brother was not arrested. This was the turning point, the trigger that caused this all to end badly. It doesn't take a genius to predict how Mendoza would react upon seeing his family arrested. You do not provoke a hostage taker.

What's worse, the PNP didn't even seem to check if the hostages were still alive before trying to break in to the bus. We don't know if some of the hostages were killed by police fire. I am also suspicious of the driver - why did he scream that everyone was dead when apparently at least 4 hostages were still alive? Did Mendoza deliberately release the bus driver to make it seem like everyone was dead?

All through this situation, I was hoping that it would turn out well, like that bus hijacking episode from Numb3rs (Jacked, Season 5 Ep 12), but realistically I didn't think anyone there had the brains to even conceptualize anything like that.

Twittersphere and Facebook were full of comments about the PNP and the SWAT's incompetence. Jokes abounded. There were even comments that the PNP/SWAT should learn proper procedure and crisis management from watching CSI, NCIS and playing Counterstrike. Here are some acronyms I saw:

SWAT - Sorry Wala Akong Training or Sorry, We Aren't Trained
SWAT - Sugod, Wait, Atras, Takbo
SWAT PNP - Sus Wala Akong Talent, Puro Naman Palpak
SWAT - Sana Wag Akong Tamaan
SWAT Training - http://bit.ly/9TF2cq

I feel really bad for the tourists who came here to vacation but instead ended up dead. Nananahimik lang silang nagbabakasyon. Hongkong just issued a travel ban to the Philippines. How this was handled is extremely embarrassing. Also, from the hostage taker's point of view, how did he think he would get his job back after pulling this stunt? The PNP should use this incident to push for reform, remove low IQ individuals from their roster, and insist on hiring better quality personnel! I shudder that these fools have a government-sanctioned access to guns!

And another thing, don't they have proper equipment? Don't they have flash bombs, night-vision goggles, thermal imaging? Why did it take them so long to figure out that there was an emergency button on the bus that would open a door from the outside? Some things to consider when revamping the PNP. And who was the idiot who ordered Mendoza's brother arrested? It was shocking that not one of the police there (there were a lot of them) showed any initiative at all to try to appease Gregorio. Didn't any one of them realize the consequences of what was happening? Didn't anyone see the big picture? They all just dumbly followed orders. Following orders is great, but when you realize that something is going wrong, you  adjust! So Gregorio was freaking out. Then try to make it less of a media circus and back off and arrest him another time when his brother doesn't have the lives of several hostages on the line. Damn, this is really infuriating. The incompetence is unbelievable!

An Early Dinner at Je Suis Gourmand

This is the best foie gras I have ever had.

The other day, the boyfriend was hungry and craving for some unlimited sashimi. Unfortunately, we were in the Makati area and Zensho and Yakimix were too far away. I suggested going to the Fort. I had several ulterior motives - check out Burgos Circle and Cafe Juanita, and possibly Je Suis Gourmand. I had him at foie gras. He loves foie gras, could eat it all day without feeling "umay".

For all that I have heard about Je Suis Gourmand, I was expecting someplace bigger, and maybe something that looked like a five-star hotel restaurant. However, the restaurant was small and cozy, and I noticed that they used rattan chairs. I liked how they incorporated the rattan chairs into the cozy French ambience.

We were the only diners there because it was early. The pan-seared foie gras (Php980+) was not on the menu, of course. I had read about it here. We ordered the foie gras and had it split into 2 half orders. I'm glad we did. I don't think I could have eaten all of my half order. I even gave about a third of my foie to the boyfriend, who was so very happy to have more foie. Don't get me wrong, the fois gras was the best I've ever had, and I think I will be dreaming of it often, but I don't need to eat a lot of it. I had my share and I was satisfied. Besides, I was starting to feel my arteries swimming with gras.

But the fois gras was oh, so good. It was perfectly seared. It was soft and buttery, with just a hint of the liver taste. It melts in your mouth while the searing produces a contrast of slight bitterness and caramelization. The sauce was a balsamic reduction and it was perfect - sweet, complex and superb. The boyfriend loved everything so much he did not hesitate to get some bread from the bread basket and wipe the plate with it. He is normally very well-mannered and I teased him for going crazy over this. But it is worth going crazy over.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

It rained early morning yesterday. It was the perfect day for me - balmy, not sunny; overcast skies, mild sunlight. No, I'm not a vampire. I just don't like sunny days like most people do. I like feeling the energy of a storm, and I particularly love the weather that presages a downpour.

I made myself some chocolate oatmeal and drowned it in milk, and settled myself on the terrace to appreciate the fine morning reading a book. Stieg Larsson's Millenium books have been the 'IT' books for the past year, much like Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code or the Twilight series were in the past. So on that fine morning, I decided to see for myself what all the fuss was about and started reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Fire Lake Grill, Cliffhouse, Tagaytay

For our meal before we were to go back to Manila, we decided to eat at Bawai's. Unfortunately, in my hurry to leave Manila, I was not able to take note of Bawai's location or contact information, and nobody else seemed to know where it was - we asked hotel staff and several other people. We tried driving around hoping we would find it, but we didn't, so we decided to eat somewhere else, and since we were driving around, we passed by Cliffhouse several times, and I remembered reading good reviews about Cliffhouse, so we ended up in Cliffhouse.

Gourmet Farms, Tagaytay

Gourmet is famous as one of the pioneers of healthy eating in this country. I remember the Gourmet cafe in the old Greenbelt when I was still on my first job working in Makati. I've read many blogs posting about Gourmet's farm in Tagaytay and was curious, so we decided to go take the tour.

We first had breakfast here (see photo up top), which is now called Refreshers, The Gourmet Diner, while waiting for the tour. I had Ceasar's salad and my friend had the smoked salmon sandwich. The food was okay but nothing to rave about. The hot choco was pretty good, though.

The tour is P50/head and we were toured through the farm at the back of the diner. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the operations in the farm and about growing herbs and lettuce, which we asked a lot of questions about since we each had our own little container herb gardens at home. Note to self - bring an umbrella and sunblock! We walked to the end of the 8-hectare farm and I didn't really feel getting sunburned until I got home that night!

Sonya's Garden, Tagaytay

This is my second time at Sonya's. The first time I was there, I didn't think it was a good value because I wasn't so much into salads then.

This time, however, I totally loved Sonya's! We had their set menu at P610/person.

They have a new dining area where it looked like you were eating inside a greenhouse. There were fern trees and vines about. The plates were Noritake and I loved the hand-embroidered table linen, which, according to Sonya's book, Sonya's Secret Garden, were bought from her suki in Vietnam. I found it sad that she had to go all the way to Vietnam just to buy these beautiful table linens because nobody embroiders like this here anymore.

Spur of the moment trip to Tagaytay

All last week I was hankering for a trip to Tagaytay. I wanted to see the farms there and just generally wanted to  travel and explore to make the most of my vacation time, and Tagaytay was accessible enough to make the trip on the spur of the moment. Also because the DFA is taking forever to renew my passport so I am stuck with local destinations (I am not a beach person). I renewed my passport early July but the next available personal appearance slot was for September! I actually miss standing in line and getting my passport renewal done in 2 days.

I've been to Tagaytay before, but they were mostly quick runs - like lunch at Sonya's or Antonio's with friends and officemates, then back to Manila right after. This time I wanted to explore and get to know Tagaytay. I researched online and made a quick itinerary - eat at Sonya's, visit Gourmet Farms and Ilog Maria, check out the new and improved Taal Vista Hotel, and eat at Bawai's. A friend is into gardening (herbs) and was thinking of going into farming, so I wanted to show my friend farms so that my friend will have an idea of what it was all about.

Beef Stew adapted from Wolfgang Puck's Recipe

This is my second time making this beef stew. This is really, really good, and now my go to recipe for Beef Stew. The recipe I used can be found here. I followed the recipe but made a few changes - I used beef brisket cubes since this was more easily available, and instead of dried apricots, I used dried mangoes. The first time I made this, I followed the recipe by putting the dutch oven inside a 350° F oven for 2 1/2 hours. The second time, I just transferred the partially cooked stew to a slow cooker and cooked on low for 8 hours. When the meat is tender, I picked out the meat and carrots and transferred them to a bowl, and strained the remaining vegetables and sauce, smooshing them onto the strainer to get a puree. I reduced the puree and seasoned with some more salt and pepper, and poured the sauce over the meat.


This stew is best eaten after a few days in the fridge. It is a really good, complex-flavored, full-bodied stew. Make a big batch, and divide into several meals/portions over the next few days :)

The original recipe is Wolfgang Puck's Wine-Braised Brisket of Beef with Caramelized Pearl Onions and Dried Apricots.

Quick Four Cheese Ravioli

Some days you would just like a good meal on the table with minimal effort. Maybe you only have 30 minutes before mealtime. I'm glad I discovered this Frozen Four Cheese Ravioli pack at S&R. Haha, I know it sounds like an advertisement, it's not. I just really like this. It's a bit pricey at almost Php700, I think, but this big pack can make several meals. When you do the math, it really is quite inexpensive for a ravioli meal.

What do I like about it? There's no need to defrost! Just boil water with some oil and salt, just like regular pasta. Once the water is boiling, drop in ravioli one at a time. Stir ocassionally to prevent sticking. When ravioli is floating in the water, you know it's done. Cook just enough ravioli for the meal, then zip up the remaining frozen ravioli in the ziptop baggie and put it back in the freezer.

For the sauce, you can make your tomato sauce of choice or just make a simple sage butter sauce. For the meal pictured below, I just heated up a can of Spaghetti Sauce and adjusted the seasoning to taste.

Sakae Sushi at the Mall of Asia

Last month, I dragged the boyfriend to Dapitan to look at household things, vases, plates and other knick knacks. I promised I wouldn't take more than an hour, and I didn't. After browsing through the stalls there, the boyfriend said he was hungry. We drove around but couldn't decide on where to eat. I suggested the Mall of Asia since I wanted to go to S&R with him. When we reached MoA, we still couldn't decide on where to eat, since nothing seemed to appeal, and ended up at our usual spot, Sakae Sushi.

Steamed Tilapia with Garlic Ginger Tausi Sauce

This is probably the best steamed fish dish I have ever made.

Find yourself a nice, live tilapia. Buy it live and have the fishmonger gut and clean it for you, or buy it live and gut it and clean it yourself at home. Believe me, fresh tilapia tastes cleaner, fresher, the meat sweet and firm. Why tilapia? It's more widely available and more affordable than live lapu-lapu. Most city public markets should have some vendor selling live tilapia. Besides, reading about cyanide and/or dynamite fishing of lapu-lapu does not make me want to support any more of those practices. I am hoping that less demand for the lapu-lapus will eventually lead to less overfishing. I was quite saddened seeing some small red lapu-lapu for sale in Farmer's Market in Cubao. They weren't even given a chance to grow bigger. And almost all of the lapu-lapu I saw sold there had mushy stomach areas. Which I read somewhere were caused by dynamite fishing. But that is a post for another day. For now, I'm sticking to Tilapia.

Rediscovering Dangwa

A few weeks ago, I was reading some of Marketman's posts on flowers which inspired me to have some vases of flowers at home. Having heard of Dangwa, but only having been there once on our way to the cemetery, I had never seen Dangwa at night. So that night, around 10pm, I dragged the boyfriend to accompany me to Dangwa.

As usual, the boyfriend was very irritable (sinusumpong). He gets like that when he knows we'll be going to crowded, not so pleasant places. But, also as usual, I am able to cheer him up. He says I'm too cute. In his defense, I am able to make him cave under a barrage of cuteness, to cater to my every whim :) Haha, well, for the most part.

Chicken Pandan and Maid Frustrations

I bought 10 pieces of Chicken Pandan from SM Supermarket last week at Php11 each. It's normally Php12 otherwise. I try to keep something simple to cook on hand just in case. To wit - when I have plans for the day and have to leave the maid to cook lunch/dinner for the rest of the family, for something easy the maid can cook for my sister's baon, or for midnight cravings. Just deep fry on medium heat until done, about 5 minutes.

Birthday Lunch at Lolo Dad's

It was my birthday last month and my dad treated us to lunch at Lolo Dad's! It was quite pricey, but I had been wanting to try Lolo Dad's since I heard about it years ago as the restaurant with the best food in Manila. I showed him the Degustacion Menu before we left and he said okay.

We were the only guests there that fine Saturday noon. Knowing the restaurant's reputation, I would have expected more people. We actually started to wonder if the restaurant actually made any money.

Watching CATS

Early this year, my sister nagged me about going to watch CATS, with Lea Salonga. My sister is a fan of Miss Saigon and wanted to watch Cats, but didn't know anybody else who might have wanted to go with her. Our circle of society doesn't really have many of the theatre-going set, so I agreed. Hey, watching theatre might actually be fun! I was imagining the characters and dialogue from my favorite Judith McNaught books, dowager duchesses peering through their monocles high up in their boxes and such.

Easy Tausi Pork Ribs

Last week, I started to have a craving for Lo Mai Fan (Glutinous Rice with Chinese Sausage) and found a blog of recipes of homemade Chinese food. While browsing, I found a recipe for Steamed Black Bean Pork Short Ribs here, and I suddenly felt myself salilvating for some good old Tausi Spareribs. Looking at the recipe, it didn't seem so difficult. I always thought that it was a difficult dish to make, having eaten Tausi Spareribs only in dimsum places.