Gunmen take 8 people hostage in Cavite bank
The Philippine Star Updated October 13, 2011 01:34 PM 2 comments to this post
MANILA, Philippines - Four heavily armed men breached a rural bank in Bacoor, Cavite this afternoon, and took hostage at least eight people. One of the hostages has been released.
Superintendent Edgar Roquero, Bacoor town police chief, said that the four men are holding hostage seven employees and a depositor inside the Masuerte Rural Bank.
Roquero said that the armed men were demanding for a getaway vehicle. Radio reports, meanwhile, said that the armed men have signified their willingness to surrender.
The town police chief said that the Cavite Provincial Police Office's director, Senior Superintendent John Bulalacao and other local officials are already handling the negotiations.
He said members of the provincial police's Special Weapons and Tactics members are already in place.
At Camp Crame, Philippine National Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz said that a crisis management committee has already been formed to handle the situation.
Cruz urged members of the broadcast media to be more cautious in reporting the hostage-taking crisis.
Last year, policemen and local authorities were blamed for the bloody end of the Manila hostage crisis, where eight Hong Kong tourists were killed by the hostage-taker after a bungled rescue operation.
The hostage-taker, a disgruntled policeman, was killed by a police sniper.
Live media coverage of the hostage crisis was partly blamed by the authorities for the incident.
Diabetic hostage released
In an interview over radio dzRH, one of the hostages identified only as "Luz" said that the hostage-takers want the policemen, who have surrounded the bank, to step back.
"Hindi daw sila lalaban basta aatras lang daw ang mga pulis. Hindi kami sinasaktan, susuko daw sila basta aatras lang daw ang mga pulis," said Luz, the bank's posting clerk.
The bank employee repeatedly pleaded to the police during the interview to withdraw.
"Parang awa niyo na. Hindi po kami sinasaktan. Inutusan po ako na magsalita sa media na umalis na ang mga police na nakapalibot sa building at susuko po sila," the beleaguered employee said.
As the radio interview continued, Luz announced that their hostage-takers released her fellow employee, Nilo Gonzalez, because he was diabetic.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=200&articleid=736995
