EDITORIAL - Responsibility

MANILA, Philippines - Like defeat in war or politics, a hostage disaster is an orphan. No public official wants to take responsibility for the missteps that ended in carnage during the hostage drama in Rizal Park that played out live on global TV on Aug. 23.

In some countries, officials would have quit immediately or even jumped off cliffs to their death. In this country, Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay, who at least immediately went on leave as director of the Manila Police District, has said the buck stops with him, but his narrative keeps pointing to higher-ups in the decisions that led to the deaths of eight tourists from Hong Kong.

The other day President Aquino himself took full responsibility for the mess, and announced he was temporarily putting the Philippine National Police under his control until measures are in place to improve its capability to keep the public safe. The President’s move raises questions about the capabilities of the officials who are supposed to have direct supervision over the PNP: Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and his undersecretary, Rico Puno. But the President has absolved Robredo of accountability in the hostage incident, saying Puno was supposed to be in charge of the PNP while Robredo was supposed to focus on local governments, although the interior secretary sits as chairman of the National Police Commission.

With the President taking responsibility for the hostage crisis, it looks like the only casualties in the aftermath of the carnage will be Magtibay as well as the four members of the responding Manila police Special Weapons and Tactics team plus another officer, Nelson Yabut, who have already been relieved of their posts.

It won’t be the first time that the President is micromanaging the PNP. While considering who should head the Department of the Interior and Local Government at the start of his administration, he had briefly assumed the Cabinet post in a concurrent capacity. But there are many other things begging for the attention of the Chief Executive, and he must eventually turn over supervision of the PNP to someone else. He will need more discernment in his choice.