August 23 was the day Rolando Mendoza stopped waiting.
It had been more than two years since the decorated police captain was first accused of extortion, robbery and assault.
It had also been 18 months since he was dismissed from the police force, nine months since he had filed a Motion for Reconsideration, and five months since he had written three letters to the Ombudsman pleading for an answer.
Mendoza should have heard back about his motion in five days, but months later there was still no word.
He was a desperate man.
On August 23, Mendoza stepped onto the Hong Thai tour bus and took matters into his own hands, an extreme final act that would see him die along with eight innocent Hong Kong people. As of yesterday, one survivor, Jason Leung Song-xue was still being treated for severe head injuries but another, Joe Chan Kwok-chu, was discharged from Prince of Wales Hospital after surgery on hand injuries. A spokesman said he was in stable condition but still needed to see doctors regularly. Chan thanked the government and medical staff, and said he 'was moved by the social unity shown in this incident'.
That unity is in contrast to the divide in the Philippines over whether Mendoza is villain or victim. To some, he exemplifies the worst of a corrupt police force and his hostage-taking was the final act of wrongdoing. To others, Mendoza is a victim of an unfair justice system that only protects the interests of the elite.
