Dismissed police officer seizes tourist bus in Philippines

MANILA - A sacked police officer armed with an assault rifle Monday seized a bus carrying more than 20 Chinese tourists in the Philippines, police said.

Authorities said the suspect, police officer Rolando Del Rosario Mendoza, was demanding a review of his dismissal in January in the hope of being reinstated to the police force.

The tourists, including children, were on the last leg of their visit when they were taken hostage by Mendoza in their bus in a seaside park in Manila City.

Three Filipinos - the bus driver, a photographer and a tour coordinator - were also taken hostage.

Seven of the hostages, including three Chinese children, were freed unharmed three hours into the stand-off, said Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay, the Manila City police chief.

On the windscreen of the bus, Mendoza taped a white piece of paper with a message that appeared to be a warning to authorities if his demands were ignored.

“Big mistake to correct a big wrong decision,” the note read. “Big deal will start after 3 p.m. (0700 GMT) today.”

Armed police officers cordoned off the tourist bus, which was parked in front of a Luneta Park grandstand. Some of the hostages were seen peeking through drawn curtains.

Mendoza, who was armed with an M16 assault rifle, was dismissed from service in January after he was found guilty of extortion and harassment. He has filed an appeal.

“The police officer insists he has done nothing wrong and wants authorities to look at his appeal,” Magtibay said.

Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo, a police spokesman, said authorities were confident that the situation would be resolved as soon as possible.

“It is a good sign when hostages are released,” he said. “The use of force is the last resort. As much as possible we don’t want to use force.”

Police initially identified the hostages as South Korean tourists but later said that they were from Hong Kong.

Joseph Tung, executive director of the Hong Kong Travel Industry Council, told Hong Kong’s government-run radio station RTHK that the hostage-taking involved a 20-member tour group from Hong Kong.

The holidaymakers were travelling on a tour organised by the city’s Hong Thai Travel Services and ranged in age from 4 to 72, he said.

The group arrived in Manila Friday and was due to return to Hong Kong Monday, Tung said.

“We understand all the tour group members are safe, but obviously, we would very much like them to be released as soon as possible,” he said.

Hong Thai Travel Services general manager Susanna Lau said the group comprised three children and 17 adults. They were travelling with a Hong Kong travel guide, she said.