Weirdest Hostage Incident in Manila

Manila- It is one of the strangest hostage-taking incidents, Armando "Jun" Ducat kidnapped 32 grade school kids on a bus and demanded that he same kids he took be given free College education and decent housing for their parents by the Philippine government.

Ducat, was armed with a grenade and an Uzi when he took the children from the day care he himself owned and told them that they would have a field trip but drove the bus with the kids to the nearest monument in the middle of Manila, the Philippine capital, to express his "grievances". After parking the bus, he wrote on the bus the words "the kids here have been taken hostage" to make sure he attracted the attention of the police.

The socalled hostage crisis started at about 8 am, afterwhich, he was surrounded by the Philippine SWAT and police teams. He however called the media to ask for coverage and demanded that a Philippine Senator, Bong Revilla be the hostage negotiator.

Revilla, who is running for re-election acceded to Ducat's request and made sure that the kids were alright.The senator admitted that he knew the hostage-taker and said, "I think he really cares about the kids, I know him but I am a little weary because he's holding a grenade and a gun and he could get nervy."

Revilla also told the police authorities that Ducat wanted to "address the people" and demanded that he be given airtime on the radios and TV. He was granted that request and spoke about so-called government corruption and his demand for better education for the children he kidnapped and took as hostage.

He said that the government should assure that all 32 kids he kidnapped were to have a decent College education.He also asked that people who were against corruption engage in a vigil at 7 pm and asked "to light white candles".

During his speech, the chidren were heard cheering him and lauding his tirades against corruption. Parents of the kids however said that the kids didn't even know that they were being held hostage. Revila confirmed that the children were given toys, food, and games in the bus and were enjoying what was happening thinking that it was part of their field trip.

True to his word, he released the 32 kids at 7 pm after he went down the bus and decided to light white candles and hold a "vigil" in front of the bus with hundred of onlookers who decided to join him.

Foreigners and writers who watched the strange incident could not make any sense of it except to say" "This is one of the strangest hostage crisis I have ever known". Even CNN seemed confused in its reportage admitting, "it is unclear but the man (Ducat) said that he would not hurt the children because he loved them".

After the vigil, he surrendered himself to the police accompanied by Senator Revilla and ex-Governor Chavit Singson.