From the onset of this incident, the hostage-taker seemed to not be belligerent, as shown by the release of hostages. These were encouraging signs.

We were going to wait him out. The idea was to let the ground commanders who are the experts in this field handle the operation with minimal interference from people who are less expert.

But the situation deteriorated rapidly when, during the course of the negotiations, he was given the letter of the Ombudsman in which she promised to personally review his case. As he was reading the contents of the letter, while talking to an unknown individual on the phone, he became increasingly agitated.

The presence of his brother also added to the tension.

At this point, he threatened to kill a hostage. The police decided to remove the brother from the scene. As the negotiators were departing, the negotiators were shot at.

Media coverage of his brother being taken into custody further agitated the hostage-taker.

Shots were fired. They seemed to be warning shots, as there was no audible indication of tumult or chaos to show that the hostages were in immediate danger.

Nonetheless, the negotiators tried to reestablish contact the hostage-taker but they were unsuccessful as the cellphone of the hostage-taker was continuously busy. He also refused to answer the throw-phone provided for him by the authorities.

The escape of the driver, combined with his reports that the hostages were being harmed, forced the assault to happen. When the vehicle began to move, and with reports that he had hand grenades, a decision was made to immobilize the vehicle as it would have made the situation even more dangerous.

As we know, the incident tragically ended in the deaths of eight innocent civilians.

We expect more of the facts to come to light and I have ordered Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to thoroughly lead this review.

• Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo’s supplemental SALN for 2002 (Copy faxed by his office to VERA Files)


Following the Mikey trail: 2004, 2007 declarations show no campaign contributions (6 September 2009)

• Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo’s 2007 campaign finance declaration
  


House resolution seeks probe on assets declarations loopholes (2 September 2009)

• House Resolution No. 1358


Arroyo sons acquire U.S. homes, businesses after election to Congress (30 August 2009)

• Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN)
• Rep. Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo’s SALN
• SALN Manual


RP protests claims over Kalayaan islands before UN (11 August 2009)

• RP protest to Vietnam’s submission
• RP protest to Joint Submission of Malaysia and Vietnam
• RP protest to Palau submission
• China protest to Malaysia-Vietnam submission
• China protest to Vietnam submission
• Vietnam reply to China protest to its submission
• Vietnam reply to China protest to Malaysia-Vietnam submission

• Automation project contract
• Comelec Resolution No. 8608
• Notice to award
• Notice to proceed


P10 billion cash advances unliquidated; COA restores pre-audit (6 July 2009)

• COA circular restoring pre-audits on July 1
• Subsequent COA memo moving the date of
  

• Executive summary of Philippine partial submission over Benham Rise


SC asked to stop RP team to UN on baseline from leaving (2 April 2009)

• Urgent petition of anti-RA 9522 lawyers


Unesco to RP: What has happened to journalist murders? (2 April 2009)

• Unesco letter to Philippine delegation


Void new baselines law, urge constitutional law experts (31 March 2009)

• Center for Migrant Advocacy survey on Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
• Commission on Audit report on Overseas Workers Welfare Program


Bolante denies Arroyo hand in fund scam; senators express disbelief (13 November 2008)

• Ex-Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante’s prepared statement
• Transcript of Sen. Mar Roxas’ interpellation
• Senate blue ribbon committee report on fertilizer fund scam (14th Congress)


Coverup, whitewash of Bolante case seen (7 November 2008)

• Senate agriculture committee findings on fertilizer fund scam (13th Congress)
• Senate Resolution 702 filed by Sen. Mar Roxas
• Senate Resolution 637 filed by Sen. Mar Roxas
• Commission on Audit findings on fertilizer fund scam
• Feb. 3, 2004 Special Allotment Release Order
• Feb. 11, 2004 Special Allotment Release Order

• 2008 impeachment complaint
• 2007 impeachment complaint (Pulido)
• 2006 impeachment complaint
• 2005 impeachment complaint (Amended)


Arroyo bid to stop media class suit fails (29 September 2008)

• Court of Appeals decision

Bolante

• Arsenio Rasalan’s affidavit on fabrication of election returns


Prosecution of human traffickers weak in RP (4 July 2008)

• U.S. State Department report on RP
  

Makati court junks journalists’ class suit (29 June 2008)

• Judge Reynaldo Laigo’s decision


RP unlikely to meet ‘Education for All’ goals (29 June 2008)

• UNESCO report on EFA status in East Asia
  

Bolante asylum bid denied twice (4 June 2008)

• Sen. Rodolfo Biazon’s baseline bill
• Rep. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s baseline bill


Santiago to freeze baseline bills (24 April 2008)

• Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago’s letter to Speaker Prospero Nograles
• Senate Bill 2181 (Sen. Edgardo Angara’s baseline bill)
• Proposed Joint Resolution 9 (Creating a Congressional Commission on National Territory)
  


House defers action on baseline bill (22 April 2008)

• Rep. Antonio Cuenco’s privilege speech


Farmers demand distribution of Iggy land, camp out at DAR (18 April 2008)

• DAR memo on moratorium on land conversion


Iggy Arroyo to use biofuels law to evade CARP? (7 April 2008) / Ethical lapses mark passage of biofuels law (8 April 2008)

• Republic Act 9367 (Biofuels Act of 2006)
• Republic Act 9367 implementing rules and regulations
• Rep. Ignacio Arroyo land titles
• Rep. Ignacio Arroyo statements of assets and liabilities
• Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri and family land titles
• Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri statements of assets and liabilities
• Former Rep. Herminio Teves statements of assets and liabilities
• SEC papers of Confederation of Sugar Producers Association


Trillanes fears more skirmishes in Spratlys (5 April 2008)

• Sen. Antonio Trillanes’ position paper on the baseline issue


Arroyo neglect, government infighting jeopardize RP territorial claim (24 March 2008) / RP in last-minute scramble to beat UN deadline (25 March 2008)

• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
• ASEAN declaration on the South China Sea
• Executive Order 612 (Creation of the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs)
• Treaty of Paris
• Republic Act 3046 (An act to define the baselines of the territorial sea of the Philippines)
• Republic Act 5446 (An act to amend Section 1 of R.A. 3046)
• Philippine declaration on UNCLOS
• Presidential Decree 1596 (Declaring Kalayaan Island Group to be part of Philippine territory)
• Presidential Decree 1599 (Establishing an exclusive economic zone)
• House Bill 3216 (Rep. Antonio Cuenco’s baseline bill)
• Senate Bill 1467 (Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV’s baseline bill)
• Comparison of baseline options


Six RP-occupied islands covered in controversial Spratlys deals (10 March 2008)

• Philippine-China agreement on a Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking in the South China Sea
  
• Philippine-China-Vietnam agreement on a Joint Marine Scientific Research Undertaking in the South China (Part 1, Part 2)
• Annex to the RP-China and RP-China-Vietnam agreement