10+ Hours of Hostage Drama in Manila

At dinnner, I was watching TV news, and then suddenly, there was a breaking news that there was a hostage standoff in Manila, Philippine. A group of tourists from Hong Kong, 25 in number, were held hostage by a former police officer with M 16 rifle. The incident started when this gunman, who was dimissed for misconduct unbecoming a police officer, seized the busload of Hong Kong tourists to demand his reinstatement in the force.



In the beginning, nine hostages and the driver had been released. Then, there was an exchange of fire, and the other 15 hostages on board were said to be killed.



Up until earlier tonight, the hostage-taker was dead after a shot in the head, and some hostages then walked off the bus alive, some being whisked to the hospital and sadly some confirmed dead. I was a bit skeptical of the effeticeness of the police, for the hijacking of the bus lasted more than ten hours. Still, I saw a police assault team charge the bus, breaking the windows with an ax. Yet, this didn't seem to help. Maybe it was some kind of strategy. But all I know is that they moved a little bit forward and then retreated immediately.



It could have been dealt with better. (From a net friend :This situation was handled poorly, by a poorly trained police force who were too busy cowering to even think.)



PS:Condolences to the families of the victims



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Strange enough to say, and maybe also a little creepy, last night, I just watched a movie about hostage, but it's not hijacking of a bus; rather it is that of a New York City train. Also coincidentally, both hostage dramas happened in a capital, one in Manila and the other NYC.

The movie is "The taking of Pelham 123"(official site:http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-tv-news-anchor-do.htm).Armed men hijack a New York City subway train, holding the passengers hostage in return for a ransom, and turning an ordinary day's work for dispatcher Walter Garber into a face-off with the mastermind behind the crime.


Maybe I am one of the guy with superpower in "Hero," like Issac Mendez, who can depict the events of the future. The other day, arriving at the airport in Kinmen, my sister and I decided to take a taxi home as we don't have a direct bus from there. While awaiting the taxi we just called, my sister asked me what the taxi plate number is, and having no idea, I said,"568"(if I still remebered). It was about then that a taxi running by with a plate number 568. Even though that was not our taxi, but it was nontheless quite unbelievable to me and my sister as well. Am I a seer?

"Great power comes with great responsibility." I hope I don't have that power, or my work is gonna be thick and heavy.