32 school children held hostage in Manila

[kolz]

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Authorities negotiate with hostage-takers
By Thea Alberto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 10:48am (Mla time) 03/28/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- At least 32 students and two teachers aboard a school bus were taken hostage by armed suspects in Manila Wednesday morning, reports culled by INQUIRER.net said.

As of posting time, a report on local television said authorities were negotiating with the hostage-takers, led by one Jun Ducat.

In a live radio interview, Ducat said he wanted an assurance from police that they would not attack the bus and warned that he would not be responsible for the consequences.

The bus has been parked at Bonifacio Shrine in front of the Manila City Hall.

Earlier in the day, Police Officer 1 Mark Andal of the Manila Police District Operations center said the bus was bound for Universidad de Manila but a television report said it was on its way to Tagaytay City for a field trip when the armed men held its students and teachers hostage at past 9 a.m.

Live television footage of the incident showed a note posted on one of the windows of the bus informing authorities that there were two teachers, 32 children, and three armed hostage-takers on board and a demand for the “education of 145 children from the Musmos Daycare.”

The same television report said the suspects, in their note, claimed that they were armed with a grenade, Uzi, and .45-caliber pistols.

The same report said the driver, Deogracias Bugarin, had been forced out of bus.
Originally posted at 10:04am

Read more from the Inquirer.net
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakin...ticle_id=57447

[tolstoi]

MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- Two gunmen took a group of schoolchildren and their teachers hostage in central Manila Wednesday morning, as police cordoned off an area near City Hall, authorities said.

"Our hostages are 32 kids and 2 teachers," a sign in the bus window said. "We have 2 grenades, an Uzi and a .45-caliber pistol."

The sign also said: "We want housing and schooling for 145 kids in a daycare center." (Watch the bus and the telephone that's been placed for the hostage-takers to use Video)

A local politician, Sen. Ramon Revilla, entered the bus early in the afternoon to conduct direct negotiations with the men.

Another politician, Sen. Alfredo Lim, a former Manila police chief, identified the hostage-taker as Jun Ducat, a man who had previously taken two Catholic priests hostage over a pay dispute.

A man identified as Jun Ducat was disqualified as a congressional candidate in 2001, The Associated Press reported. It was not immediately clear why he was disqualified, or if it was the same man.

Earlier, video from the scene showed a woman making the hand symbol for a phone to police nearby, as a man held a grenade next to her arm.

Police later put a wired telephone on the ground next to the bus, but no one came out to claim it.

A second sign later appeared in the bus window, saying, "We need an amplifier so you can listen to what we're asking for."

The engine of the purple-and-gray bus continued to run, providing air conditioning as midday temperatures reached 34 degrees C. (93 F.), AP reported. Traffic ground to a halt around the normally busy area, according to AP.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapc...ges/index.html

[tolstoi]

(UPDATE 10) One of 32 children held hostage freed

MANILA, Philippines -- One of 32 children and two teachers who were held hostage aboard a school bus Wednesday has been released by his captors to Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, according to reports culled by INQUIRER.net.

The boy, who was identified as Simon Pacheco, was freed because he was running a fever, authorities said.

[tolstoi]

[tolstoi]

watch live streaming here

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT

[tolstoi]

LIVE RADIO FEED AT DZRJ MANILA

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/radio/p...dio_title=DZRH

[tolstoi]

Deadline set

Meanwhile Revilla said a deadline for hostage-taker Armando "Jun" Ducat Jr. to surrender before police storms the bus has been set.

Revilla told reporters that Ducat has until 7 p.m. to surrender before authorities try to take control of the bus where about 31 children and two teachers are being held hostage.

Earlier, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita had said no violent measures will be implemented for the sake of the children held hostage.

Ermita said government agencies will attend to the problems raised by Ducat especially the issue of the day care children’s education, which was referred to the Department of Education.

Ermita also appealed to Ducat to remain calm and not to use violence.

Chairman Bayani Fernando of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority had been ordered to proceed to Lawton district to act as Malacañang’s representative.

[mata_hari]

di ba Ducat has been holding a grenade inside the bus... then the pin has been removed na..

any careless movement... gosh.. scary...

i hope this goes out well...

i don't want those kids to die...

di ba the demands of Ducat is a promise from the government

that all 32 children will be given free education until college... wow how thoughtful.. but not this way...

whoa!

[lestat1116]

2nd time na man di na tawahana naghostage.

[tolstoi]

Ducat, in his two messages, demanded houses and college scholarships for 145 pupils, including the hostages, of Musmus Day Care Center in Baseco Compound. The day care center is owned by the hostage-taker.

He also slammed corrupt politicians and candidates of the upcoming May elections for neglecting the children’s rights to education.

He said he was forced to enter the situation because he is already tired of helping the children of Tondo alone.

"Hindi ako, suko na ako (Not me, I surrender)," Ducat said when Revilla promised to assist him in helping the children.

The hostage-taker, who owns a subdivision in Cavite province, said he has 30 land titles ready to be awarded to the hostages’ family.

He asked politicians and the government for more land titles to be distributed to other poor families of the schoolchildren. With a report from AFP