Manila cops kill bus hostage-taker on Taft Avenue

(Updated 9:24 p.m.)  Manila policemen on Thursday afternoon killed a still unidentified man less than an hour after he took a fellow passenger hostage with what witnesses said looked like a pen inside a bus on Taft Avenue.

The suspect suffered two to three gunshot wounds after the authorities fired at him at the corner of Taft Avenue and Pedro Gil Avenue in Manila.

Superintendent Albert Barot of the MPD Station Five said the policemen tried to negotiate with the suspect, but they saw that he was already pressing the pointed object on the victim, a student.

GMA News reported that the weapon was actually an icepick covered with ballpen case.

The crisis was resolved around 2:30 p.m.

"The final option was made," Barot told reporters after the incident.

The suspect was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

The motive for the hostage-taking was still undetermined as of posting time.

SCENES FROM THE MANILA HOSTAGE TAKING



"May sinusundan siyang lalaki tapos nung bumaba na yung lalaki sa unahan, nagalit na siya. Inano na niya yung bata," a witness told GMA News.

The victim, a minor, suffered bruises on her neck and was brought to the nearby Philippine General Hospital.

She was still undergoing stress debriefing as of early evening.

Barot said the MPD received a text message about the hostage-taking through the hotline 117.

The presence of policemen in the area ensured the quick response to the situation, he added.

Other passengers had to jump from a window at the back of the bus to escape.

"Hindi ko akalain matatalon ko yun," said a witness. "Ang sakit ng katawan ko," she added as she wept.

Suspect had no shoes 

Bus conductor Sonny Cañete said the suspect went up the bus at the Rizal Park. He said he thought something was wrong with the suspect because he was unshod.

Cañete said the suspect was rather anxious when he boarded the bus.

The conductor said that when he asked the suspect where his destination was and to collect his fare, the suspect told him to just come back later.

He said the suspect and another passenger even jostled for seat space, prompting the latter to go down.

"Wala pong hiningi.... May sinasabi siya puro na lang ako kaso," Cañete told GMA News when asked what the suspect's demands were after he took the victim hostage.

Judgment call  

Barot, nonetheless, said the suspect was asking that he be able to talk with his mother.

It was Senior Inspector Dionel Brannon who took the shot that neutralized the suspect.

"Nakita ko rin yung kutsilyo niya nakaabang.... Doon naano ko na na in danger pa rin yung buhay ng biktima," Brannon said.

"Nag-judgment call ako. Dun, nakita ko yung opportunity. Nakita ko yung katawan ng suspect, yung kutislyo hindi pa niya naibababa sa katwan ng biktima. Naputukan ko na po," he added. —NB/JST, GMA News