Legazpi City: A Philippine Army corporal took hostage 31 passengers of the Peñafrancia Tours bus on Friday in Bicol.
The hostage taking took place around 12.30 noon in Barangay Comadaycaday in Del Gallego town, Camarines Sur province, in the Bicol region about 400km south-east of Manila.
Following a five-hour stand-off that caused massive tailbacks on the Maharlika Highway, the enlisted man surrendered at around 5 pm, according to Philippine media reports.
It was not immediately clear what prompted the soldier to take the bus passengers hostage, but he was reportedly having family issues.
Peñafrancia Tours is passenger bus operator that plies the Manila-Bicol route. The bus was travelling from Naga City to Manila.
Armed
The corporal, Rene Prajele, 36, was allegedly armed with an M16 rifle, when he held the passengers hostage. The bus was reportedly filled with students going to Manila to resume their classes.
Prajele belongs to the Army's 31st Infantry Battalion based in Sorsogon province, in the Bicol peninsula, reports reaching Camp Gen. Simeon Ola in Legazpi City said.
The website Rappler quoted Police Senior Inspector Malu Calubaquib, spokesperson of Bicol Philippine National Police, as saying the incident took place at 12:30 pm Friday.
Armed Forces acting public affairs officer Lieutenant Colonel Marlowe Patria, said military commanders joined the crisis management team.
"A Crisis Management Team was created composed of the mayors of Ragay and Del Gallego of Camarines Sur, Colonel Amador Tabuga of the 902nd Infantry Brigade, PNP Del Gallego and 49th Infantry Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Medel Aguilar," Patria said.
Chief Superintendent Victor Deona, Bicol police regional director, said that police officers assigned in Del Gallego, Camarines Sur, have blocked the road.
Earlier, Deona said: “Our men are working together with local officials to pacify the hostage-taker so that no one will be harmed. We hope to resolve the ongoing incident the soonest time.”
Army Captain Marjore Paneza, spokesperson of the Army’s 9st Infantry Division, said that Prajele was assigned as security in some development projects of the government.
It appeared Prajele was having family problems, Paneza said. Prajele was assigned under the command of Lt. Col. Beerjenson Aquino, commanding officer of the Army’s 31st Infantry Battalion in Sorsogon.
