The gunman was armed with an M16 rifle and had seized the tourist bus mainly consisting of passengers from Hong Kong. Mendoza had posted a message on the bus window giving a deadline saying that after that time a “big deal” would start and the deadline had passed without further incident. It was then hoped that the situation could be peacefully resolved, however the sound of gunfire rang out and police stormed the vehicle, according to Jim Gomez of the Associated Press over on the Christian Science Monitor.
At least eight hostages held for 10 hours appear to have survived the hijacking of a tour bus in the heart of the Philippines capital Monday.
The hostage-taker, former police officer Rolando Mendoza, died of a gunshot wound to the head, and at least two hostages were killed, police said.
There were 15 hostages on the bus when police stormed it. Nine had been released earlier, including a mother and her three children, a man with diabetes, and two photographers, . Most of those on the bus weretourists.
Police boarded the gunman-controlled bus about 40 minutes after the driver left and claimed the hostage-taker had killed all those remaining on board. The police retreated immediately, possibly after firing a shot into the bus.
Police cordoned off the area around the bus as they tried to negotiate, and sharpshooters were stationed nearby. Food was delivered to the hostages still on board.
Sadly, although the incident has been concluded with some safe, it also resulted in the deaths of 6 of the passengers and the death of the gunman himself. The Filipino driver of the bus escaped just before police surrounded the bus and Roderick Mariano, a police officer, said that the driver told them that Mendoza had opened fire on the hostages left on the bus.
