Saturday, August 28, 2010

Manila Hostage Crisis Update: Mendoza deserves a flag draped over his coffin

Insp Rolando Mendoza deserves the Philippine Flag
Are we so weak as a Nation and government that we readily accede to the demands of a very small island state such as Hongkong?

So what if the Hongkong government felt more enraged when they saw the Philippine flag draped over the coffin of slain former Inspector Rolando Mendoza, the hostage taker in the botched Manila hostage crisis last Monday?

Why did the government ordered for the removal of the Philippine flag draped over Mendoza's coffin? Why? Are we so weak that a mere criticism would spur us to violate this honor given to public servants like cops and soldiers?

Mendoza was a decorated officer. He served this country for over twenty years. He deserved the honor of being considered as one of our country's heroes. His seventeen medals show his competency.

Now, his action last Monday which led to the deaths of nine Hongkong tourists does not automatically erase those twenty years of dedicated service to the Motherland.

Yes, he did something wrong which he already paid for by his life. Yet, that wrong does not justify another wrong.

Are we so weak as a government that we cannot explain to these Hongkongers and their government that Mendoza deserves the flag usually given to public servants like Mendoza?

Are we so stupid and weak as a government that this mere fact we cannot communicate to our counterparts right there in Hongkong?

This is too much humiliation already for us as a People. That we have a government that relents to every whim and caprice of another country.

Why do we allow such outrage?! Have we no more honor as a people?!!!

8 comments:

  1. Mendoza does not deserve the flag.
    Not only because of the shame he has brought to our country with his violent and senseless act.
    Yes, he was a bemedalled officer.
    But let us not forget he was also convicted by our court of law. (Whether one does not believe in the verdict is a matter of opinion.) The point is he was convicted.
    It is not just about being sensitive to a foreign government.
    It is also being sensitive to our rule of law.

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  2. If Mendoza was a great person, why did he killed innocent people, one of them being a child? He deserves no honor as he knew what he was doing.

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  3. @ James,

    Was he really convicted? I mean, the case has not been resolved. That's why he did what he did.

    His case is still pending resolution before the courts. Hence, he is still not yet convicted

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  4. @greatdudeyup,

    Did he really killed the kid? There is no final report yet about the incident. So, it is premature for anybody to say that he did.

    He deserves the flag, because his guilt is still not determined as yet.

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  5. Mr. Mangubat you are referring only to the mere technicality of the law. If due process is considered as a valid argument for your justification of his innocence (as the law states: innocent until proven guilty), then even the most obvious mass murderer, even if he's the most renowned soldier that ever existed, deserves the flag of his country on his coffin.

    That is, I don't know whether you are just being too patriotic or just plain unaware. It is then by all means that if GMA is to die right now before our very eyes, it is rightful to give her a hero's burial 'for economic stability, infrastructural projects, and serving the government as the President for the past 9 years.'

    It is not also being sensitive to the rule of law, it is rather sensitive to the morality of actions. Nobody deserves any praise for what happened.

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  6. Mendoza was a murderer and a coward. Trash.
    I had some sympathy about the background of the case and for fact that the accusations against him remained unproven or tested. However, hostage taking and murdering innocent people is not the way to show you are a good guy. Not in any civilised country anyway.

    Your comments about HK are also misguided. You worry about your honour as a people? First you should worry about the fact that generations of your womanhood are cleaning toilets, working as slaves and/or performing sex acts for money throughout more developed countries in Asia. You should tackle this national shame before you start dirtying your flag on a murderers legacy.

    Thats the real humiliation for the philippine people!

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  7. @ JM,

    You cannot compare GMA's with that of Mendoza's case. First, it is very clear that his culpability has not been proven as yet by the final arbiter of all, that is the Supreme Court. Therefore, by all means, under the eyes of the Law, he still deserves that flag in his coffin.

    GMA, on the other hand, clearly deserves a flag in her coffin because like Mendoza, her guilt is still unproven, despite overwhelming evidence.

    What am I saying? Yes, Mendoza probably caused all these in the first place, but his criminal status was still undeterminate when he died.

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  8. He was a hostage-taker and a murderer. That is undeniable. Draping his coffin with our flag is an insult to the Filipino people

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