After the March 14, 2007 hostage crisis on the Taguig Hall of Justice, another hostage crisis is currently taking place right infront of the Manila City Hall. I’m currently tuned in to ABS-CBN’s News Channel in order to be updated on the issue. Just an update, hostage takers already released one child (who is sick) out of the 32 students being held inside a bus. And now, CNN is already covering the news -that’s what you call MEDIA ATTENTION the hostage takers are asking.

Here’s the news posted at Inquirer.net.

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.

The hostage-takers, led by Armando Ducat Jr., demanded education for 145 children of a daycare center in the city and improved housing.

Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., who has claimed to know Ducat, was allowed by police to negotiate with the hostage-takers who claimed that they were armed with a grenade, Uzi, and a .45-caliber pistol.

Revilla has promised to support the education of the children and appealed to Ducat not to be impulsive.

“Sige sumpa ko sa sambayanang Pilipino at sa Panginoon, yung edukasyon ng mga batang ito, ako na ang mananagot [Alright, I promise before the Filipino people and God, that I will be responsible for the education of these children],” said Revilla but added that he could not answer their demand for improved housing.

Ducat said he was willing to accept punishment for what he did. At the same time, he warned the public not to put their trust in politicians whom he accused of using the poor for their own ends.

Ducat himself is running for councilor in the third district of Tondo.

In a live radio interview earlier in the day, 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.

“I love these kids; that’s why I am here,” Ducat said. “We have a field trip. I invited the children for a field trip.”

“In case I need to shed blood, I will not be the first to fire. I am telling the policemen, have pity on these children,” he said.

A standoff mounted as dozens of police surrounded the bus that had been parked at the Bonifacio Shrine in front of the Manila City Hall.

The bus 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.

Television footage showed a sheet of paper taped to the bus’ windshield 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.”

It also showed the young children, one in sunglasses, waving from the windows. A woman with her arm around a child could be seen making a hand signal asking for a phone as one of the gunmen held a grenade at her shoulder.

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.

Police Senior Superintendent Danilo Abarzosa disputed initial reports that indicated that the men stormed the bus while fleeing police after a holdup.

A police officer, standing about 15 yards away, held up a cardboard sign offering a telephone land line as another officer held up the handset. A third officer used a bullhorn.

Ducat refused to take the phone, saying he was afraid it would explode.

But Senator Alfredo Lim is confident that Ducat whom he knows as a contractor will not harm the children, saying that he has done the same thing to two priests from the San Roque Church in Manila about 20 years ago when he also held them hostage over what he claimed then were unpaid dues for his work in the rehabilitation of the church.

Then mayor Lim said he had negotiated with Ducat who was also armed with two grenades at that time and convinced the contractor to release the two priests peacefully.

He added that although Ducat was charged, he was freed when authorities discovered that the grenades were fakes.

The bus drama was the second hostage crisis in the Philippines capital in just over two weeks.

On March 14 police stormed a courthouse in the eastern Manila district of Taguig and killed an ex-marine, ending a 24-hour courtroom hostage drama that was caught live on national television.

The man and his girlfriend had taken four hostages at a court hearing over an eviction notice filed against him by one of the hostages.

from Inquirer.net.