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MANILA, Philippines - What prompted Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza to turn from a crime-fighter to be on the wrong side of the law? What could have driven him to be an armed threat to human life instead of protecting it as he was supposed to as a man of the law?
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Before grabbing headlines for the hostage-crisis, Mendoza was counted among the top men in the country's police force. But with 4 other policemen, he was dismissed from service on charges of the illegal arrest and extortion of an individual in 2008.
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On Monday, the disgruntled police officer took the law into his own hands. In an act of desperation, he commandeered a tourist bus and took 22 Hong Kong tourists and three Filipinos hostages to prod authorities to look at his case. Mendoza wanted the Ombudsman to review his case and reinstate him into the country's police force.
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"If the case he was talking about was in 2008, that means he was harboring a grudge. It was festering in him. This was his desperate final act," psychologist Randy Dellosa said on Mornings@ANC.
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Dellosa said people react to grievances in three ways: they either don't get affected, pass it off quickly, or develop psychological disturbances. He added it is the third way that people have to watch out for.
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He said signs of depression anxiety are: insomnia or any change in sleeping patterns, changes in a person's appetite and energy level, gloominess of attitude that makes them suicidal or think about death, problems with focusing, palpitation, light-headedness and fear of death. Noting how such symptoms may remain hidden until a later time, he added clinical intervention would help diffuse the intensity of the person's feelings.
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Dellosa said Mendoza may have lost control when he realized there was no way authorities would give in to his demands after the police arrested his brother, Gregorio.
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MANILA, Philippines - What prompted Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza to turn from a crime-fighter to be on the wrong side of the law? What could have driven him to be an armed threat to human life instead of protecting it as he was supposed to as a man of the law?
.
Before grabbing headlines for the hostage-crisis, Mendoza was counted among the top men in the country's police force. But with 4 other policemen, he was dismissed from service on charges of the illegal arrest and extortion of an individual in 2008.
.
On Monday, the disgruntled police officer took the law into his own hands. In an act of desperation, he commandeered a tourist bus and took 22 Hong Kong tourists and three Filipinos hostages to prod authorities to look at his case. Mendoza wanted the Ombudsman to review his case and reinstate him into the country's police force.
.
"If the case he was talking about was in 2008, that means he was harboring a grudge. It was festering in him. This was his desperate final act," psychologist Randy Dellosa said on Mornings@ANC.
.
Dellosa said people react to grievances in three ways: they either don't get affected, pass it off quickly, or develop psychological disturbances. He added it is the third way that people have to watch out for.
.
He said signs of depression anxiety are: insomnia or any change in sleeping patterns, changes in a person's appetite and energy level, gloominess of attitude that makes them suicidal or think about death, problems with focusing, palpitation, light-headedness and fear of death. Noting how such symptoms may remain hidden until a later time, he added clinical intervention would help diffuse the intensity of the person's feelings.
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Dellosa said Mendoza may have lost control when he realized there was no way authorities would give in to his demands after the police arrested his brother, Gregorio.
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Hostage trauma.
Dellosa said survivors of Monday's hostage crisis will need time and a lot of emotional support to recover from the trauma of the incident. He emphasized the value of family support, and the opportunity to retell the incident to reduce the intensity of emotions.
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"During times of crisis, there's the adrenaline rush, panic. So this might stay with them for a long time. Giving them physical reassurance that will help them," Dellosa noted, adding comforting gestures and human touch will go a long way.
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Dellosa said the 3-part process in addresses hostage trauma involves, diffusion or giving information, debriefing or helping survivors understand what happened, and following-up.
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He said the approach to treating the trauma depends on the individual's needs, adding children, who may not express their feelings as well, are usually more severely affected by the incident. "Whether it's adults or kids, it has to be personalized. We have to find our what their concept is of death. What was their experience inside the bus. There are some children who may not even care, it may have just been a drama they participated in and its forgettable. Sometimes, it may even be the parents who magnify or intensify their experiences, so parents have to be coached."
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Mendoza's own family will have to deal with trauma from the hostage crisis, and the circumstances surrounding their kin's death. Dellosa said the Mendozas will also need time to rest adding that while media and police may continue to hound them for a statement, they should be allowed to grieve and come to terms with their family's loss.
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A country's duty.
As the country comes to terms with the incident, and a new travel ban from Hong Kong, Dellosa said, it must remain sympathetic to the Chinese territory by showing the Philippine government's sincerity in delivering justice. "We need to show that we're doing something to rectify the fault, and keep following up the condition of hostage survivors to show we're sympathetic."
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Dellosa, however, admitted one way to cope with tragedy and grief is for people to realize and accept their humanity. “We we're all unprepared, all of us are shocked. The best thing is to realize that there are some things we can't control and some we can."
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