Vietnam...some Fruits and Plants around Saigon

Looking at the condition of the fruits and plants encountered during my recent Vietnam trip, it would appear that the once war-torn land has recovered somewhat sufficiently. At the market place, there were all kinds of local vegetables and fruits that not only looked healthy but tasted
excellent. I bought some for eating and tasting. They were better than those I get from our own NTUC fairprice supermarkets...perhaps, because they are freshier.
Many of our local plants in S'pore can also be found growing in Vietnam.
But the texture and taste of the fruits may be slightly different.
Below are some of the fruits and plants we saw or tasted.

This red jambu tree reminded me very much of the ones in my
old kampong of Siang Lim Park.

These are Jackfruits or "nangka" as we call them locally.
They are bigger than the "chempedak" ( Jack's cousin) but
are less aromatic.

D2 just could not resist pulling a branch of the Buah Cherry tree.

My fellow seniors will recall how as kids we use to love this tree to no end.

The cherries are so easy to pluck and nice to eat. If you like climbing trees, this tree is

easy except on rainy days when it is wet and the bark becomes slippery.

The "V" joints of carefully chosen branches can be made into very flexible catapults.

The Buah Cherry Tree

Bamboo is very common and plentiful in Vietnam

Plants found in typical mangrove swamp

This is similar to our local "atap-chee". That sweet translucent fruit-seed

that can be found in ice-kachang and chendol.

Know what plant this is? Anyone?

Vietnamese mint plant.

Vietnamese Mint plant.

These fruits were so attractive and I could not resist buying some

for tasting. They were very, very good! But I was told to avoid the durians.

They sold the fruits by weight. Vietnamese lychees are as good as

those from China. I can confirm this! Great texture and very sweet and juicy.

One thumb up...very good. Two thumbs up mean ...excellent!

Beyond my expectation both in quality and taste and price.

A nostalgic slice of Geylang English School in1956

Last weekend's informal lunch meet up with these 5 blogger friends whom I've described in my previous post has led me to this topic today. We were there for nearly 2 hours! And in that time much news, tidbits and info were surfaced during our warm chats.
For me personally, it was a rather pleasant surprise to have discovered that Victor Koo ( 3rd from right ) is a fellow Victorian, from an even earlier bloggers' meet up. Then when I happened to talk about Geylang English School, after listening for a while, Wee Kiat ( 2nd from right ) interjected..." I was also from GES. What year were you there, Dick ?"

It was such a pleasant surprise to know someone who had studied in the same school before me.
For those who may not understand this nostalgic and sentimental feeling...let me confirm this fact; GES (Primary ) does not exist anymore as a school. The building is still there at the junction of Lorong 23, Geylang Road, converted for other uses.
Since the school had closed down decades ago, the number of former students would naturally dwindle year by year, making it harder to find former students as time passes.

[ Dicko's archives: Bloggers meet - 4 Sept 2010 , Siglap Road ]

Unk Dicko entered Geylang English School as a Primary One pupil in 1955.
My eldest brother John and 2nd elder brother Peter were also pupils of the school, before me.
Both were much, much older than me. By the time I stepped into the school grounds, my brothers had both left the school. Thus from 1955 to 1960, I learnt to fend for myself and was quite independent, going to school on my own and returning home in similar fashion...a journey by walking from Lorong 40 to Lorong 23 ( and vice-versa), rain or shine!

I'm pretty certain if today, you ask the average boy or girl of my age back then ( 7 - 11 yrs) or even some adults, to walk the same walk as many of us had done daily...they will say you
are "NUTS !". I may not agree with their response but I will not blame them.
The world we lived in has changed tremendously... in many ways for the better, in others for
the worse.


[ Front cover of my 1956 GES I School Magazine ]

Geylang English School I was founded in 1923. It was the only English primary school along the
main Geylang Road that catered to boys only. For the girls in Geylang area, the only English primary school in those days was the Geylang Methodist Girls' School situated at Aljunied Road
junction of Sim's Avenue. My elder sister Jenny studied there.

Every year, I would bring back the Annual School Magazine and my parents and family members
would check it out eagerly. My 6 years in the school would mean a collection of 6 magazines or more, if I include those under my brothers' time.
Somehow, to my utter disappointment, when I finally moved off from my family home, after marriage, into my own home, I could only find 3 surviving copies of GES magazines.
These 3 very fragile, somewhat tattered copies are now in my prized possession.
They are the 1954, 1956 and 1960 copies. Some pages are missing from here and there.
Otherwise, they hold a treasure trove of the sweetest memories of the innocence of youth
and the days of yore.

As an example, I have thousands of pictures in my archives and albums. When I got down to re-organise my photos and whatnots, I could only find ONE ...yes, just one single photo of myself
before the age 12. And that picture of me, as a 3 month old baby being cradled in the safe arms
of my late mother is presently with my younger sister.
I have it saved and uploaded to my early blogpost.

Click HERE to see that RARE picture.
It is therefore good fortune and a blessing when I found some pictures of myself still recognisable in this 1956 GES magazine which I have placed below.
[ This is the Back Cover of the 1956 Magazine ]

Sheaffer's and Parker were two of the most notable brands for fountain

pen and ink.

Most of us poor kids use ordinary cheap pens made in China or Hong Kong.

In the lower primary, we used pencils mostly. But proper writing with a pen

was taught especially at the upper primary level.

[ The Foreward message in the 1956 Magazine ]

Any old timer remember this Dy Director of Education, Mr R E Ince?

The content of his message confirmed that GES was then one of the very well-known

English primary schools in Singapore. It held a high reputation in many sports especially

the sport of Badminton..where GES was the National Schools' Champion for many years

overtaking the traditional power houses.

[ The Staff of GES I, headed by Principal Liow Tiow Kee ]

Who was Unk Dicko's form-teacher in Pri 2 A ?

That rugged looking young man at the extreme left ( Top Row ) was my form teacher.

His name...Mr Neo Yam Koon. He lived quite near us then, along Geylang Road, close to

the former Queens Theatre.

Even as a tiny Pri 2 kid, I can still remember that I got on very well with him.

He was very gentle, kind and most approachable as a teacher.

Unk Dicko's work was not always tidy. And teachers then were very particular

about tidiness and worse; any signs of tardiness!

When I think of patience, I always recall Neo Yam Koon.

He was a teacher I truly liked and respected. I think the feeling was mutual.

I mentioned him in a previous blogpost on Siang Lim Park, my kampong. HERE.


[ My class photo: Pri 2 A 1956 - Form Teacher Mr Neo Yam Koon ]

[ Asst : Mr Soh ]

Now question is where on earth could Unk Dicko be in this old photo, 56 years ago?

There were 40 of us in the class, including this Old Owl ( young then ).

Spotted him yet?

If not, the next photo would certainly help.

[ Group photo of the 19th " OWL" Pack ]

Now I did not put the "Owl" in the subheading for fun. Back in the good old scouting

days, most cub or scout groups had such identifying logos or names beside their unit

number. Victoria was known as the " Sixth Arrow " group. Tg Katong was "Seladang".

St Andrew's was the 94th "Orion"...etc.

The 19th "Owl" Pack/Troop was one of the earliest known, oldest cub packs in Singapore.

And I was truly privileged to havebeen a member and a significant part of its history.

Though I was only in Pri 2, I had already been yearning for the outdoors...to be a cub scout.

It was also on my mother's urging. She thought I would make a good scout one day.

None of my siblings were involved.

I was the only one in the family with scouting in my blood and soul

The once young Owl in this photo, is in the middle row, 4th from the right.

Sitting on the front row, extreme right was Toh Hong Seng ( Pri 2 B ). In later

years he would be in my same class..the "A" class, based on promotion.

Who was he?

Heard of the QUESTS a top local band of the late 60's and 70's?

Well, my former classmate and cub mate Hong Seng was a key member of that successful band.

Page 55 of the magazine has 5 photos of different classes engaged in class

activity.

The top right picture showed my Primary 2 A class during our Art and Handwork

under the gentle supervision of our form teacher Neo Yam Koon.

Clockwise from the bottom left... unk Dicko can be partially seen 3rd from left,

opposite our teacher.

A Gathering of Bloggers and 4 Authors

Would you believe it...what the blog title suggests?
No? Better believe it!
Those patrons who were streaming in and out of the well-known Ampang Yong Tau Foo located on Upper East Coast Road, near the junction of Siglap Road, would not have known about this too. It was only last Saturday, Sept 4, that this informal gathering met over lunch. Occupying the yellow tables at the front of the eatery were 6 gentlemen having animated chats over the delicious food. What links all of them is the fact that all 6 are avid, veteran bloggers of note and
all are Friends of Yesterday Sg ( Foyers) . Among the group are 4 published authors.

Photo: From Unk Dicko's camera showing from L to R:

Peter, who has blogged quite extensively on Good Morning Yesterday as a guest blogger of LCS,
Noel ( in red T ) who has an interesting Archaeology Blog,
Victor another well-known blogger of blogsite Taking Up The Challenge,
Tan Wee Kiat (Dr) who blogs about nature and stamps on the blogsite Retrievia and
Lam Chun See of Good Morning Yesterday.
[ Btw, Chun See has written a post about this same meet up too. Do check it out. ]

All except for Peter and myself have published books to their names.
Of course we were not there just discussing about books. We were there to enjoy each other's company and talk about blogging in general, about ourselves and share more interesting tidbits about Singapore life and some of our observations.
This was my first meeting with Noel and Peter ( we knew each other online ). I have known Wee Kiat since the mid 70's and we were together on one unforgettable trip to Maxwell Hill where many of us were badly stung by hornets which required hospitalisation in Ipoh General Hospital. In our conversations, I also discovered that Wee Kiat and I both studied in the former Geylang English School....many years apart as he is way my senior. ( Look out for my very next post..it will feature our now defunct school and some old pics !).

About the Books:
Chun See has kindly presented me a "signed" copy of his book shown below.
I've gone through it and in retrospect wish he could have written it years earlier. Then I could
have been better armed with such practical, workable ideas when sitting in the early version of MOE's WITs teams. We had no guidebooks to help us back then...just some adhoc notes and
very basic guidelines. True enough, most of such WITs eventually died a "natural" death as the majority of teachers, educators and even administrators found it rather "tedious" to set aside valuable time just to have some "verbal knock around ".
There just wasn't anyone stimulated, passionate and qualified enough to bring WITs to a higher level. Chun See's presence and expertise in this field would have made a difference.
But as they say, better late than never.

So I shall recommend this book to my friends and contacts in the schools and MOE.
Congratulations Chun See for writing this practical and useful book!

Wee Kiat, Noel and Victor are co-authors of the book shown below.
It is an easy to read and understand kind of book featuring the many varied
stamps of Singapore's past history. In this book, they showcase the VIPs...those
historical and important people who played critical roles in our history or who
contributed in a big way to the life and times of our nation.
All these VIPs have been accorded everlasting respect and honour by being featured
on our Singapore stamps.

My mrs and I when younger used to collect stamps and 1st Day Covers as a hobby.
Those covers and stamp albums have been out of sight for a long time...decades literally.
I managed to locate a number and brought along to show our "expert" Wee Kiat just for the fun
of it. His expert eyes missed nothing!
As was expected, most of the items are of good educational value.
But there are a couple of the 1st Day Covers that are of value ! Which ones?
Will need to blog about that.
My warmest Congratulations to my 3 friends for this special book. Having gone through
my signed copy ( THANKS!) and seeing the beautiful reprints of the stamps within its pages, I must regard it as a "Collector's item".

Wee Kiat has also written quite a number of books for children.
I like this one that he gave me signed with a cute "grandfatherly" message.
All these books are available for sale to the public.


Below: The inside page of the Book.





The four authors have encouraged Peter and yours truly to " write a book".
They are truly sincere and most inspiring!
Well should I, could I ?
What could I write about I wonder.

Why I can NEVER forget 9 - 11 ( in 2001 ).

Today is September 11, 2010 in Singapore, a rather ordinary day to most of my fellow countrymen. In New York, Washington and all across the United States the date 9 -11 is no
ordinary day. It has come to signify to modern America much as what December 7 1941 meant to all Americans nearly 70 years ago.
On both days, 70 years apart, America came under a most dastardly attack that took the lives
of thousands.
When the hordes of Japanese Zero fighters and dive bombers attacked Pearl Harbour on the morning of Dec 7 1941, sinking numerous battleships, cruisers, destroyers and fighter planes..it came unannounced. There was no formal declaration of war at the time of attack between Japan and the USA. President Roosevelt stirred the nation by labelling the cowardly attack
as " the Day of Infamy ".

Today is the 9th Anniversary of the September 11 2001 terrorist attack in the USA.
On that blissful and peaceful morning, much like at Pearl Harbour, most people were already
at work or travelling to their work place. No one could have imagined the great horrors that
would descend upon them like the biblical apocalypse.
The cowardly attacks using hijacked US commercial planes were carried out by terrorists in the Al Qaeda network.
President Bush would later label that day as " the day we saw the face of EVIL".

Every year on this date, memorial and remembrance services will be conducted in many cities
across the land. The US President and the First lady will preside at one of these solemn events.
Looking back to that day "that shook the world", Unk Dicko still remember that day most vividly.
It was night time in Singapore when the actual attack took place and the real time video footage of the attack was shown "LIVE" on TV, right through the next day.
It was unnerving, almost unreal and emotionally gut-wrenching to watch it happening right before my very eyes.

I have seen many a disaster movies in my time...Towering Inferno, The End of the World, etc..
But this was no Hollowood made movie.
This movie was produced by the terrorist Al Qaeda network. The main Director was none other than Osama Bin Laden, a most wanted man today.
Unlike the Hollywood movies where film stars and extras play their part including "playing dead", nearly 4000 innocent people lost their lives in Osama's movie.

The other thing D2 and I can Never forget about this day was something very STRANGE and eerie that took place in our own home at EXACTLY THAT MOMENT when the Twin Towers collapsed and crumbled killing all the people still trapped inside. We have no explanation for it.
I have often wondered if there was any psychic significance, any relevance, any connection between the events.
Till today, I'm still puzzled about the 1 in a million co-incidence of such a thing happening at the exact same moment...thousands of miles apart. To find out what strange, inexplicable happening visited us, you can check out my earlier posts below.
I have blogged in detail about it before. Click HERE to read.


Note:
All the photos in this blogpost are from the internet. I have no clue
as to who the real owners are and so cannot credit the source.


The attack on the Twin Towers on 11 Sept 2001


The attack on the Pentagon


Ground zero at the site of the attack in New York

The "Before" and "After" satellite images of the attack

There was worldwide condemnation of the attack. In Berlin,

the residents showed their support and deep sympathy.
Similar scenes took place in most major cities of the world.

Initial Manila Police Cover-up...exposed!

[ Photo source: Reuters, S Times online news ]

The news report below is from CNA online news.

Asia Pacific News

Posted: 09 September 2010 1445 hrs
Philippines admits police may have shot some tourists

MANILA:

Philippine investigators admitted for the first time Thursday that police may have shot some of the tourists in a bungled operation that left eight Hong Kong residents dead on a bus in Manila. President Benigno Aquino said he expects to get the investigators' final report into the hostage incident on September 15, and pledged to fire officials found to have failed in their duties or file criminal charges against them.

"Our government is now focused on taking the necessary steps to prevent this tragedy from ever happening again," he said in a live interview on national television.

"Let me just say that this incident will not define this administration."

Armed with an assault rifle and a pistol, sacked policeman Rolando Mendoza took a busload of tourists hostage on August 23 in a desperate bid to clear himself of extortion charges and get his old job back. Eight of the tourists were killed and seven others were injured in the central Manila standoff.

Police initially insisted the bullets that killed the tourists were all fired from Mendoza's guns. Other bullets were fired into the bus by police snipers and an assault unit but they did not lead to fatalities, they had said.

But Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Thursday: "There is a big possibility that there (was) friendly fire." De Lima, head of an official inquiry, also said the forensic reports on some of the slain victims did not match the account of the driver of the tourist bus, who had told investigators the gunman shot the tourists at close range.

"What is crucial, occupying our minds, is if the shots were made at close range, (these) are not consistent with forensic findings," she added.

The entry points of these wounds did not exhibit burn marks caused by the muzzle of a gun that was fired close by, she added.

Asked whether at least some of the victims could have been killed by "friendly fire," de Lima said: "We are not focusing (on that), but we should never miss that. Otherwise our report will be less than thorough."

The panel has asked the Hong Kong police to help with the ballistics aspect of the investigation, she added. "Where did the shots come from, the hostage-taker, the assault team, or other teams? We doubt they all came from snipers and assault teams," said de Lima.

Ballistics experts say some of the bullets that hit the bus were fired from a distance further than the location of the snipers, raising the possibility that other units deployed in the area could have fired into the bus, she said.

Aquino has taken responsibility for the fiasco that has chilled ties with Hong Kong and damaged the Philippine tourism industry. He vowed Thursday to form an elite force, based on Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) to deal with similar hostage incidents in the future.

"We will copy to a degree the formation of that national unit," which would be made up of between 200 and 400 soldiers and police capable of responding to any threat in any part of the country, he said.

Aquino said de Lima's report will serve as the basis for dealing with police and government officials who handled the Hong Kong tourist bus hostage crisis. This could include possible criminal cases, he added. The president said he has asked the former Manila police chief Rodolfo Magtibay, who went on leave amid criticism of his role as ground commander during the hostage crisis, to file for an early retirement.

- AFP/fa

Unk Dicko's Comments:

Why did the bus driver give a completely FALSE account of the shooting inside the bus?

He has been giving conflicting stories ( NOT EVIDENCE ) to investigators. He claimed to have seen Mendoza shoot dead all the hostages. But he was allowed to "escape" before the main shooting began, so how could he have witnessed what he never saw.

Unk Dicko has his suspicions about this driver and the conniving, bungling police.

They may have threatened this driver on pain of death to lie for the sole purpose of covering

their dirty backsides. The driver was held in police custody so obviously they had much time to

use their cowboy methods on him.

In my earlier posts, I had described the police as "cowboys". In the light of this latest report,

especially the highlighted phrases in red, it confirms my initial observations back then.

So the President said he will " copy to a degree" the formation of an SAS.

I don't really think that is very clever. It won't work. What this President is saying is all part of

a knee-jerk reaction...hoping to reclaim some balance, hope and initiative.

Mere copying is dangerous and foolish.

What the Philippines really need is a COMPLETE REVAMP of their nation's SOUL.

They need to do a deep soul-searching at every level and strata in the country starting with their

Cabinet and cascade it downwards.

They need to come up with a NEW VISION for a NEW P'ppines.

Get everyone involved.

When the picture becomes clearer I bet this most shameful National Failure ( hostage fiasco) will not be their Biggest problem. In fact, it might be just a dot on the long list of MORE IMPORTANT things and issues that have plagued them for the last 60 years, at least.

What's the BIGGEST issue that once it is stopped...the country can start recovering?

It's the same BIG issue that is keeping "Abang" country and most other nations from ever

overtaking Singapore....

CORRUPTION !

CORRUPTION !

CORRUPTION !

Tackle this cancerous disease and when the cancer cells die, the body ( the people and nation) will rejuvenate itself and be healthy once again.

MM Lee Kuan Yew told the Russians Paliamentarians the same thing when he was invited there

to share his views on Good Governance.

Have ZERO TOLERANCE for any form of Corruption. No one including the President or ministers will have any special safety net of escape. The LAW decides.

This is what I hope all countries should do.

Manila....At least 4 may have been killed by Police gunfire!

This news article has provided the 1st 'High Level' info that at least 4 of the Hong Kong hostages who died inside the bus were likely killed by Police assault team. In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned that a female survivor had said most of those who died were killed by gunfire coming from outside the bus.

The information in the article below also confirms, almost entirely, my assessment of

the root cause of this totally avoidable tragedy.

Read the shocking answers from those ' High Ranking" people entrusted with the job of taking charge in such situations. I have never been surprised. Are you?

[ Photo source: AFP, S Times online news

showing PNP chief Verzosa ]

The report below is from Asia News Network online.

Manila bus hostage-taking deemed ‘local crisis’
Interior undersecretray admits no training in hostage situations
Nikko Dizon and Marlon Ramos

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Publication Date : 04-09-2010

Government authorities considered the August 23 hostage-taking a “local crisis” even if foreign nationals were involved, and the official in charge of the Philippine National Police was “not capable of handling hostage situations.”

Interior undersecretary Rico E. Puno on Friday (September 3) made these admissions to the fact-finding committee investigating the police rescue operation that left eight Hong Kong tourists and the hostage-taker, dismissed cop Rolando Mendoza, dead.

The first day of the three-day marathon hearing, which was aired on live TV, revealed the seeming cavalier attitude of the national and local governments toward the day-long hostage crisis at Quirino Grandstand in Manila, with Puno banking on the strategy of Manila mayor Alfredo Lim to simply exhaust Mendoza and hope he would release all the hostages unharmed.

Justice secretary Leila de Lima chairs the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) tasked by President Benigno Aquino to look into the police assault on the hijacked tour bus that was aired live on TV. Her vice chairman is Puno’s own boss, interior secretary Jesse Robredo, who had said he was left “out of the loop” in the efforts to resolve the crisis because Puno was earlier designated by Aquino to handle police affairs.

Six Hong Kong police officers observed the hearing that began at 9:40am and continued until past 7 pm, with Lim taking the witness stand.
PNP director general Jesus Verzosa and Chief Supt. Rodolfo Magtibay also testified separately for over two hours.
Verzosa admitted that he could have rectified some lapses committed by the police if he were in the area during critical moments in the negotiation.
He said he flew to Cagayan de Oro City on that day to attend an “official function” despite being told four hours earlier that a dismissed policeman was holding captive a busload of Hong Kong tourists.
‘It happened in Manila’

Puno made his admissions while being questioned by IIRC members Herman Basbaño, president of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (broadcasters association), and Roan Libarios, governor of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
Libarios asked Puno:

“Did it not occur to you that the majority of hostages were foreign nationals? Did it not occur to you to assert that the crisis be considered a national crisis that would give jurisdiction to the national crisis committee?”
Said Puno:

“No, sir. ...It happened in Manila, that’s one. The hostage-taker was assigned in Manila, and that was the consideration there. It happened in the jurisdiction of the city of Manila, and the hostage-taker was a former police officer.”

The panel’s questioning of Puno focused primarily on how the national government had handled the hostage-taking that embarrassed the Philippines before the world, and to determine who was in charge as the situation swiftly deteriorated.
Puno said the local crisis committee was constantly in charge but that the national crisis committee, which he headed, was on “standby” in case the situation worsened.

“How significant to you was the element of foreign nationals being held hostage by a police officer?” Libarios asked Puno.

He replied: “It was very significant, but again I reiterate that in (the local crisis committee’s) personal assessment, the hostage took place in Manila and the hostage-taker, a former Manila policeman, was very cooperative.”

“At no point in time from 10 in the morning to 7 in the evening did it ever occur to you to consider the crisis within the dimension of the national crisis committee?” Libarios said.

“No, sir,” Puno said.

Earlier, Basbaño asked Puno if the hostage-taking were considered simply an “ordinary crisis”.
Puno described the incident as “a local hostage-taking situation” that could be handled by the police district director and the city mayor.

“So you just treated it as local crisis. Did it not enter your minds that it was a PNP official taking hostage some ... foreign nationals and there were indications that it would have [an impact on] the country and everybody?” Basbaño said.
The committee granted Puno’s request to explain behind closed doors why the incident was deemed a “local crisis” only. Verzosa joined the executive session.

‘Cooperative’ hostage-taker
Libarios pressed on: “So, the primary consideration in the determination of level of response is the identity of the perpetrator? You did not consider the identity of the potential victims of the crisis situation, which could change the magnitude of and the potential government response to the crisis situation?”

Said Puno: “We did not consider that, but the national crisis committee was on standby and we were prepared to take over in case it was elevated to a national crisis. But it was the local crisis committee’s call, and (its) assessment of the hostage-taker was that he was very cooperative.”
He added that the foreign affairs, social welfare and development, tourism, justice, and health departments had been given “instructions” on what to do in case the situation came to be classified as a national crisis.

Even De Lima was baffled by the assessment that the situation was a local crisis.
“The mindset was this was a local incident... Was there any dissenting opinion by anyone, whether by members of the local crisis committee or the national crisis committee, which was on standby?” she said.

“Our assessment was that he was a very cooperative hostage-taker, releasing eight or nine hostages (earlier),” Puno said.

Incapable, Inexperienced
Puno admitted that he was not trained to handle hostage situations. But he took responsibility for the bungled rescue operation.
“I am not capable of handling hostage situations, I am not trained to do that. I do not have the experience to handle hostage negotiations,” Puno said.
He agreed with De Lima when she wondered whether this was the reason he “left the negotiators to do their own thing”.

Puno, a known shooting buddy of the President, said the latter appointed him interior undersecretary for peace and order on July 5, assigned to supervise Patrol 117, the fire and jail bureaus, Public Safety College, and Philippine Centre for Transnational Crime.
“But I have also verbal instructions from the President to oversee the PNP,” he said.
De Lima asked Puno if it was confirmed that there was “such an order from the President that you will take care or handle the PNP”.
“Especially on the movements and logistical requirements, and to study certain aspects that would be helping in the operations,” he said.
He added that his role was to observe and give support to the police in terms of logistics and manpower.

4 deaths
Libarios questioned Magtibay, the ground commander, on the possible deaths of four of the Hong Kong tourists during the police assault.

He told Magtibay that “based on the rundown of events,” four of the Hong Kong tourists were hit by “gunfire as a result of the assault.”

“Would you consider that (assault) as successful if four died from the assault?” Libarios said.
Magtibay said he could not confirm Libarios’ statement, but said that if that were the case, “(the) SWAT team, I believe, cannot share the blame alone for that.”
“They tried their best and in fact we avoided a worst scenario whereby all the hostages, including the hostage-taker, will die during the assault,” he said.

Libarios said the information that four of the tourists may have perished during the assault “was raised” during the committee’s executive session with Puno and Verzosa.

“I may not have the privilege to discuss in detail how it happened. But in the course of the executive session, it appears that the four may have suffered the tragedy in the course of the assault. Anyway, that would be a matter of a different discussion later on,” Libarios said.

Panel member Teresita Ang-See also asked Magtibay if he abandoned his post during the crucial hours—when a radio reporter was speaking with Mendoza by phone and was “clogging up the line”—to attend a meeting at the command center at the Emerald Restaurant on Roxas Boulevard.
Magtibay said he did not abandon his post.
He said he had followed Lim’s instructions for him to proceed to the restaurant “to continue our discussion” with Puno and Chief Supt. Leocadio Santiago, the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office.

PNP chief’s absence
Verzosa was questioned by the committee on his absence and his decision to let Manila Police District (MPD) officials handle the situation.
De Lima asked Verzosa if he had the authority to make replacements after the hostage-taker expressed disgust over the chief negotiator, Supt. Orlando Yebra.

“When it is extremely necessary,” Verzosa said. “We don’t want to intervene in the situation of the ground.”
De Lima sought Verzosa’s assessment of Magtibay’s decision to arrest Mendoza’s brother, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, for allegedly conniving with the hostage-taker.
The arrest, which was aired live on TV, enraged Mendoza and pushed him to open fire on the hostages.

“I was alarmed by the sudden commotion and felt nervous something might happen, [and] I still believe it was the most critical and tipping point,” Verzosa said.
He said he had thought of calling Magtibay to relay instructions on how to handle the situation, but decided not to.

“If you were physically present, would you have done that?

Immediately ordered Magtibay to desist from arresting the brother?” De Lima said.
Verzosa replied:

“I can (make) that decision. But it has already happened, and it might be hard to repair the observations of the public.”

Crowd control
Verzosa said the police failed to control the crowd during the hostage crisis.
He said crowd control involved keeping away not only kibitzers but also the media, the police, and other personalities who should not be at the site of a hostage-taking.
“There was a mix-up,” Verzosa said under questioning by Basbaño.

“The lapses happened because of the failure to [implement] crowd control. We saw some lapses... I think we failed to designate a media center, where media briefings should have been given.”
Like Puno, Verzosa said he was confident that Magtibay was capable of ensuring a peaceful end to the hostage crisis because Mendoza was cooperative with the police during the early hours.
“There were two considerations in having the MPD address it—(Mendoza) was from the MPD and Magtibay said they can probably settle with the hostage-taker because he was cooperative,” the PNP chief said.

Verzosa said the release of some of the hostages in the first few hours of the situation indicated that the negotiation “going smoothly.”
“In various stages, (the negotiation) was proceeding very well,” he said, adding that he was continuously talking with Magtibay to give instructions.
Verzosa said Mendoza’s disposition suddenly changed when he saw the letter from the Office of the Ombudsman stating that it would review his dismissal from the PNP.
“That was the tipping point. His character just changed from then on,” Verzosa said.

Unk Dicko's Comment:
For a change would my dear friends and readers care to share some of your comments or

observations either on this report or on any aspect of the tragedy?

Shocking Revealations at Manila Inquiry !

Manila police fired 20 rounds in ill-fated bus
By Timothy Chui (China Daily HK Edition)

Updated: 2010-09-03, 09:23
Manila police fired 20 rounds in ill-fated bus.

Hong Kong, bus hostage, the philippines,

Lead HK investigator into hostage killings questioned on exit from Manila

Hong Kong investigators probing the aftermath of the August 23 Manila hostage crises inspects the ill-fated Hong Thai Tours bus in Taguig, the Philippines, Aug 30, 2010.

[Photo/Xinhua]

Investigators probing the aftermath of the August 23 Manila hostage crises have found evidence that 20 rounds were fired into the Hong Thai Tours bus by police.
Eight Hong Kong residents died during the hostage taking by Rolando Mendoza, a 55-year-old ex-cop dismissed for corruption.
The information concerning evidence of police bullets came out despite a gag order surrounding the inquiry.
Documents obtained by Filipino broadcaster ABS-CBN News disclose that police bullets hit the vehicle's windshield, driver's side window, tyres and a window near the door well.
Bullet holes linked to the line of fire of the SWAT team were also found in windows near to where some of the passengers were seated, according to the report.
Filipino authorities expect to wrap up the gathering of evidence next week.
Hong Kong Police are working in tandem with Filipino investigators who may also fly to Hong Kong to take statements from two survivors, to assist in mounting a re-enactment of the tragedy next Monday, said Filipino Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

Related readings:

LegCo holds debate on Manila hostage carnage

Memorial service for HK victims in the Philippines

Hong Kong stages rally to mourn for hostage victims

HK, Philippines to exchange hostage probe info

Without naming the two hostages, she added the trip may be cancelled if statements taken by Hong Kong police are provided and there are no conflicts.
Following the probe, a high-level delegation will take the investigations' findings to Beijing and then to Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, two Hong Kong police officers conducting investigations in Manila were questioned briefly by Filipino authorities Thursday.
Interpol Division Chief Inspector Li Kwai-wah was denied clearance to board a flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Hong Kong Thursday morning. He was stopped because he was carrying a bag of empty shell casings from the gunman's assault rifle, Chinese Embassy in the Philippines spokesman Sun Yi said.

Interpol Division Chief Inspector Li Kwai-wah is escorted by aviation security to a waiting vehicle after he was held at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila September 2, 2010 for carrying a bag of empty shell casings from the gunman's assault rifle.

[Photo/Agencies]

Li had not declared the casings nor did he have the required clearance from the Philippine National Police. Li was allowed to fly out after questioning, the spokesman said.
Public anger has been simmering over the handling and aftermath of the August 23 hostage crisis during which 22 Hong Kong residents were held hostage on a busy Manila thoroughfare.
Mendoza murdered eight of the hostages before he was killed by police at the end of a bungled two-hour-long rescue attempt.

The Filipino government says it's looking into the latest in a series of blunders. The bodies of three of those killed in the incident were sent to the wrong families in Hong Kong.
Philippines Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman apologized for the mix up.
The mistakes were discovered when the victims' coffins were taken to the Kwai Chung Mortuary after being flown in from Manila, according to the Security Bureau.
The bodies were identified by family members in Manila so the mislabeling may have been done by Filipino mortuary workers, a statement read.

Unk Dicko's Comment:

Everything I have seen so far from various news reports, including some of the latest inside

reports from Manila available online, suggests that the Philippines is only giving nominal co-operation and access to the Hong Kong GOVERNMENT appointed investigation team.

They, the Filipinos are not using their heads again.

THIS MAY YET TURN OUT TO BE ANOTHER BIGGER DISASTER THAN THEY CAN

IMAGINE.

Long ago we have learnt from wise men,

" When you have already done WRONG and have been found out, do not go on to commit another WRONG in the hope of hiding that first MISTAKE. "

And may I humbly add...NEVER AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL !

The so-called Official Inquiry by Manila have definitely confirmed my earliest assessments about the debacle and shameful fiasco.

The MAIN PROBLEM IS TOTAL LACK / ABSENCE OF QUALITY LEADERS with Integrity and Intelligence.

If you read and follow the various reports, you will be shocked at the unimaginable circus of CHIEFS of police, of this committee, that committee, at this level, at that level.... even an ordinary person like me be so disgusted with the idiocy of it all.

I can imagine myself having a BIG headache just to sit through and listen to all the "nonsense"

and explanations coming from their "big" chiefs.

You need 10 bottles of Panadol on standby to clear your head!

While the crisis was at its height...the REAL KEY CHIEFS Ministers, Police etc.....all "Chabuted" literally! ( local slang for abscond, run, hide, ). Army slang will say " take cover".

One ordered a govt plane to fly him south to "attend an event". ! ?

Another went to have coffee in a hotel..." and watch the action on TV" ! ?

Another went to have tea...

And another went.....

Whatever it was, it is most disgusting, shameful, irresponsible behaviour and they all should be charged for deriliction of duty and if found guilty...SACKED.

Innocent lives lost, billions of dollars will be lost in future tourism earnings, National shame,

a pariah police force image...all this and more.

If the exact same thing had happened in Sg ( behaviour wise ), I would not need to write a single

word at all.

I know what the inescapable outcome will be.