This country has been rocked by several criminal incidents whose perpetrators are the same people tasked to defend the public: police authorities.
However, what is worse than the police committing the crime themselves is if they are not doing anything at all when the crime is committed in front of their eyes. Also unforgivable, is if they let a civilian do what they are supposed to do and take the risk at the same time, as seen in the video below.
If some people think that it is only in the movies that you see police arrive late at the scene of the crime, then they better think again. It happens in real life, especially in Surigao, Philippines.
Fortunately, there are still a few honourable people living among us who are willing to do the dirty work, while police stood nearby and let the actions unfold while they continuously blew their whistles inside their motorcycle helmets. This incident was captured by amateur cameras and the video was uploaded in Youtube last 11 September 2014.
The video shows a hostage taker holding a young girl at knife-point in front of a store while several bystanders are helplessly looking on. It was unknown why the man (who looked like he was on his 40s) took the girl as hostage but a lot of people have already gathered, watching the live action nervously.
Despite the presence of the police and several bystanders, the man continued to tightly hold the child on one arm while the other had a knife to her neck. Helpless, all the police could do was wait, which is what they are good for nowadays, for the man to change his mind or find the right moment to make their move.
Several men who were in green-and-yellow uniform, believed to be employees of the store, were standing just a few feet away from the hostage taker, but these able-bodied men could not endanger the child’s life so they chose to wait for the situation to improve, too.
Amateur photographer Matteo Menesis was standing a couple of feet away from the hostage taker and he was able to get a clear cellphone video of the drama as it unfolds in front of the store.
When the hostage taker was momentarily distracted, a quick-thinking store employee (definitely an unnamed hero) grabbed the chance to jump on the man and pushed the knife away from the child’s neck. Emboldened by this store employee’s actions, the rest of the bystanders immediately took action, joining the first man in the fray as he wrestled the hostage taker.
The next few seconds was a melee of bodies before the little girl was seen in the arms of another store worker and a woman, most likely her relative. Although crying and visibly shaken by her ordeal, the girl looked alright and unharmed.
Police officers broke the scuffle apart, but it took them a couple more seconds to free the hostage taker from the angry mob. The man had some cuts and bruises, but was otherwise fine. The police handcuffed him and took him to the precinct. And that’s how the taxpayer’s money was spent by the police as part of their job protecting the public.
However, what is worse than the police committing the crime themselves is if they are not doing anything at all when the crime is committed in front of their eyes. Also unforgivable, is if they let a civilian do what they are supposed to do and take the risk at the same time, as seen in the video below.
If some people think that it is only in the movies that you see police arrive late at the scene of the crime, then they better think again. It happens in real life, especially in Surigao, Philippines.
Fortunately, there are still a few honourable people living among us who are willing to do the dirty work, while police stood nearby and let the actions unfold while they continuously blew their whistles inside their motorcycle helmets. This incident was captured by amateur cameras and the video was uploaded in Youtube last 11 September 2014.
The video shows a hostage taker holding a young girl at knife-point in front of a store while several bystanders are helplessly looking on. It was unknown why the man (who looked like he was on his 40s) took the girl as hostage but a lot of people have already gathered, watching the live action nervously.
Despite the presence of the police and several bystanders, the man continued to tightly hold the child on one arm while the other had a knife to her neck. Helpless, all the police could do was wait, which is what they are good for nowadays, for the man to change his mind or find the right moment to make their move.
Several men who were in green-and-yellow uniform, believed to be employees of the store, were standing just a few feet away from the hostage taker, but these able-bodied men could not endanger the child’s life so they chose to wait for the situation to improve, too.
Amateur photographer Matteo Menesis was standing a couple of feet away from the hostage taker and he was able to get a clear cellphone video of the drama as it unfolds in front of the store.
When the hostage taker was momentarily distracted, a quick-thinking store employee (definitely an unnamed hero) grabbed the chance to jump on the man and pushed the knife away from the child’s neck. Emboldened by this store employee’s actions, the rest of the bystanders immediately took action, joining the first man in the fray as he wrestled the hostage taker.
The next few seconds was a melee of bodies before the little girl was seen in the arms of another store worker and a woman, most likely her relative. Although crying and visibly shaken by her ordeal, the girl looked alright and unharmed.
Police officers broke the scuffle apart, but it took them a couple more seconds to free the hostage taker from the angry mob. The man had some cuts and bruises, but was otherwise fine. The police handcuffed him and took him to the precinct. And that’s how the taxpayer’s money was spent by the police as part of their job protecting the public.