Manila: A 12-hour hostage stand-off on a hijacked Philippine bus ended in bloodshed Monday, with officials saying at least eight Chinese tourists were dead along with the disgruntled former policeman who seized their vehicle in a bid to get his job back.
At least six captives survived, four of whom were seen crawling out the back door of the bus after Philippine police stormed it on Monday evening when the hostage-taker started shooting at the 15 Chinese tourists inside, said police Senior Superintendent Nelson Yabut.
He said the hostage-taker was killed with a sniper shot to the head after he wounded a police sharpshooter.
Audio: Malak Harb reports on the bus hijack in the Philippines
Audio supplied by Radio 2
According to police, the Filipino driver who escaped said that the hostage-taker, armed with an M16 rifle, had opened fire at the tourists.
The hostage-taker, identified as former senior police inspector Rolando Mendoza, earlier told a live radio broadcast on Monday that he had shot two of his captives and would kill the others if police did not meet his demands.
Mendoza's brother, Gregorio, told a local TV station that his brother was upset by his dismissal from the force. According to media reports, Mendoza had been dismissed for reasons including extortion. He lost his retirement benefits when he was dismissed from police service.
"His problem was he was unjustly removed from service. There was no due process, no hearing, no complaint," said Gregorio, who was later taken into custody by police.
Gregorio, a police officer, attempted to enter the tourist bus to negotiate but was arrested by police because he was carrying a gun.
Mendoza initially held hostage 25 people but later released nine of the hostages, including two women, three children, a diabetic man and three Filipinos. He demanded his job back to free the others.
According to newspaper reports from 2008, Mendoza was among five officers charged with robbery, extortion and grave threats after a Manila hotel chef filed a complaint alleging the policemen falsely accused him of using drugs to extort money.
"I want a decision of my cases to be delivered personally by the following persons," Mendoza wrote on a large paper that was clipped on the windshield of the tourist bus when it was parked near the Quirino Grandstand.
He kept sending messages this way. His messages included a demand for crude oil, food, and electric cable.
A Chinese diplomat who was monitoring Monday's negotiations appealed to Philippine authorities not to jeopardise the safety of the hostages. Bai Tian, deputy mission chief at the Chinese Embassy, told reporters they wanted every step taken "to secure the safety and security of our Chinese nationals."
Police earlier brought in food for the hostages as well as fuel so the air conditioning unit can keep running as the temperature outside the bus reached 32 degrees Celsius.
Hong Thai Travel Services Ltd. General Manager Susanna Lau told Hong Kong's Cable TV that the tour group had left Hong Kong on August 20 for a visit to Manila and was scheduled to return to Hong Kong on Monday.
Mendoza hitched a ride on the bus from the historic walled city of Intramuros and then "declared he is taking the passengers hostage" when it reached Jose Rizal Park alongside Manila Bay, Magtibay said.
Apart from demanding his reinstatement, Mendoza also wanted to talk to the Philippine media and asked that his son, also a policeman, be brought to him. A representative from the ombudsman's office talked to Mendoza on the phone and promised to look into his case again, Mendoza's brother, Florencio, told reporters.
Mendoza's younger brother, Gregorio, also a policeman, said his brother felt "injustice was done on him" when he was fired.
"He was disappointed that he did well in police service but was dismissed for a crime he did not do," he said.
With input from agencies
