Philtranco hostage taking (partially found Philippine live news coverage of hostage taking incident; 2002)
This article has been tagged as NSFL due to its discussion of murder.
A reporter approaches the hostage taker with a boy
Status: Partially found
On May 31, 2002, a two-hour hostage crisis in Philtranco Bus Terminal in Pasay ends with both a four-year-old boy and his hostage-taker killed following a highly-televised failed rescue attempt. Homicide charges would be filed against 22 city police officers, including those dismissed, a city police chief and seven of his men.[1]
Incident
Dexter Balala and his mother Salvacion Balala arrived from a two-week vacation in Camarines Sur at the Philtranco bus terminal in Pasay. They wait for a bus to be destined to their hometown Pampanga.[2] As they went to the bathroom, a man named Diomedes Talbo, who was reportedly under the influence of drugs, took Dexter hostage, with his knife pointing on the latter's neck.[3] Law enforcements later arrived at the scene where they tried to cordon off the area where the hostage-taker was, but there were too many people at the scene. Two hours later, Talbo stabbed Balala and killed, prompting the police to open fire at Balala, killing him.[2][3] His motive remains undetermined, with some reports stating that the hostage taker wanted to speak with a man, while others claimed he sought then-Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Heherson Alvarez.[3]
An autopsy report stated that Balala sustained 13 stab wounds and five bullet wounds. Metro Manila Police Chief Deputy Director General Edgardo Aglipay fired Pasay City police chief Eduardo De La Cerna and filed recommended charges against 10 responding officers for the handling of the incident.[3]
The incident was captured live on ABS-CBN, with Michael Fajatin was the reporter.[4][2] The untrained journalist was seen to have joined the negotiations with the hostage taker to free the boy.[3][5]
Availability
The hostage taking incident was covered live on ABS-CBN on May 31, 2002.[2] The news coverage of it was lost for many years until 𝙅𝘼𝘾𝙊𝘽𝙎𝙃𝙇𝙏𝙍 - Throwback TV uploaded the excerpt of the incident was featured on GMA News & Public Affairs Yearend Special on April 15, 2024.[6] The pictures of the incident are available on Blogspot.[7] A news story about the incident was uploaded on 2023, albeit in re-enactment and only Balala's funeral was covered.[8]
Gallery
A hostage taker and a boy
Media
See also
- GMA-7 Manila Hostage Crisis coverage (found Filipino news coverage of hostage-taking incident; 2010)
References
- ↑ Alquitran, Non; Dizon, Nikko (July 2, 2002). "Pasay hostage case: 8 cops face ax". The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Cops bungle hostage crisis. The Philippine Star.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 We Still Haven’t Learned: Remembering Dexter Balala and the Manila Bus Hostage Crisis. Esquire Magazine.
- ↑ 'WAG PO! | JUNE 5, 2019. Note: Timeframe at 51:45 mark.
- ↑ Knifeman kills four-year-old hostage on live TV. London Telegraph.
- ↑ 2002: The GMA News & Public Affairs Yearend Special - Philtranco Hostage drama.
- ↑ Remembering Dexter Balala. Blogspot. Archived from the original. WARNING: Contains disturbing graphic content.
- ↑ Jessica Soho Reports - Postscript: Hostage (Dexter Balala Hostage incident). Reddit.