Who is this hostage-taking ex-police officer?

Manila: A former Filipino policeman on Monday held hostage a bus with 15 people on board.

The armed gunman, identified as former Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, seized the tourist bus with 25 Chinese nationals early on Monday in Manila to demand his reinstatement into the force.

Mendoza later released nine hostages and had reportedly run out of food both for himself and the captives.

Audio: Malak Harb reports on the bus hijack in the Philippines

 

Audio supplied by Radio 2

Mendoza boarded the tourist bus when it stopped at the 16th century Intramuros, a walled city built by the Spanish colonials off Manila Bay.

When it reached Luneta Park, also beside the bay, he is said to have brandished his M-16 and 45 calibre pistols and announced he was taking the bus hostage.

"I want a decision on my case to be delivered by the following people," he wrote on a large piece of paper that was clipped onto the windshield of the bus.

This is not the first time Mendoza has been in trouble with the law. In 2009, the policeman, along with four other officers, was dismissed after Christian Kalaw, a hotel chef, filed charges of robbery, threats and extortion to the value of P20,000 (Dh1,666) against him.

Kalaw claimed he was forced to swallow shabu after Mendoza's team arrested him for illegal parking, driving without a licence and use of illegal drugs.

Mendoza was dismissed at the time, but later reinstated by officials.

On Monday, Marge Enriquez, a female reporter from the Inquirer, Erwin Tulfo, a radio anchor and two police officers negotiated with Mendoza for the safe release of the hostages.

Initially, media members had been barred from getting near the tourist bus, but Mendoza had asked for a reporter as a negotiator.

Despite heavy rain, members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) surrounded the tourist bus while the negotiations took place. Mendoza was said to be courteous at first.

However, he became angry when radio journalist Raffy Tulfo criticised the police force for their soft treatment of him in the past.