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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Phillipines Police Rescue 23 Hostages, Kills Hijacker
2010-08-24
Police have stormed a hijacked tourist bus and killed the gunman who took it over Monday in Philippine capital of Manila

"He is dead. He was forced to retreat to the front of the vehicle when the SWAT (special weapons and tactics police) team attacked from the back," said assault leader Superintendent Nelson Yabut, quoted by AFP.

It's not yet known how many hostages have survived the ordeal. Some captives were seen leaving the bus alive.

The hijacker, reportedly a sacked police inspector, had seized the tourist bus Monday morning in an apparent effort to be reinstated to his job.

The police moved in on a bus after multiple gunshots were heard in Manila's historic tourist district, where the hijacker is holding several tourists and a local driver hostage.

The developments came hours after the hijacker threatened to kill the hostages if police approached.

"I can see a lot of SWAT (special weapons and tactics police) coming in. I know they will kill me. They should all leave because anytime I will do the same here," the hijacker told the Radio Mindanao Network.

The hijacker, armed with a rifle, seized the bus with about 20 tourists from Hong Kong and three Filipinos onboard near a park in Manilas tourist district.

He released nine of the hostages before the bus was stormed by police.

A local radio station had reported earlier that the hijacker was negotiating with police, demanding to be reinstated and have his name cleared.
Posted by:Fred

#4  Unfortunately for Manila + RP, local MAOISTS + BEIJING + CHIN NETTERS are dissatisfied at how the Manila PD handled the situation. STATE GOVTS-DIPLOMACY ASIDE, IIUC VARIOUS CHIN BLOGGERS ARE TAKING THE TRAGIC OUTCOME AS PROOF NOT ONLY OF GENERAL PHIL GOVT. INCOMPETENCE BUT MORE IMPOR AS EVIDENCIA OF DEEP OR UNDERLYING LOCAL HATRED OF ALL THINGS CHINESE.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2010-08-24 22:43  

#3  It was a charlie foxtrot. Video and pics here.
Posted by: newc   2010-08-24 12:25  

#2  Err...no. There are all sorts of ways to talk disgruntled workers out of violence. It's called "hostage negotiation". The Philippine police did an amazingly poor job of this. A police assault is a last choice when all other options have been exhausted. Let's try this, Glenmore, why don't you get on that bus and then cheer on the security services to assault, when there are tons of options on the table for an outcome where nobody gets killed?
Posted by: gromky   2010-08-24 09:09  

#1  Even though some of the hostages were killed, this is still the best long-term approach to negotiating with hijackers (or pirates.)
Posted by: Glenmore   2010-08-24 00:16  

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