Eight killed as bus siege ends in bloodbath

Armed with an assault rifle, sacked police inspector Rolando Mendoza held 15 Chinese tourists in the bus parked across a main road in the centre of the capital Manila and demanded his job back, a year after he was fired.

He was among five officers charged with robbery, extortion and threats after a Manila hotel chef filed alleged they falsely accused him of using drugs to extort money.

Mendoza had hitched a ride on the bus from the historic walled city of Intramuros at about 10am local time yesterday and then declared he was "taking the passengers hostage" when the bus reached Jose Rizal Park alongside Manila Bay.

There were 25 people, including 22 foreigners, on the bus when he boarded it with a gun, Manila District Police Chief Rodolfo Magtibay said.

Mendoza was demanding his job back, police said. He wrote his demand on a board and displayed it in the windscreen. Later notes suggested a 3pm deadline.

There were early hopes the incident could be ended peacefully, after Mendoza released two women, three children, a diabetic man and three Filipinos, including a tour guide and a photographer.

The move left the Filipino driver still on board with 15 Chinese

tourists from Hong Kong.

"He has released children, the elderly and the sick. He is showing signs of kindness and I think this will be resolved peacefully," said police deputy director Fidel Posadas.

Officers took food for the hostages and fuel for the bus to keep the air conditioning running in temperatures of up to 32C.

But tensions escalated as night closed in.

Police are understood to have finally moved in at around 8.30pm after a body was seen hanging from the front door of the bus – reportedly the body of the gunman, shot dead by marksmen.

TV stations carried live broadcasts of the unfolding drama, footage showing hostages crawling from the bus through its back door.

Police had swarmed around the vehicle after hearing shots from inside and being told by the driver who escaped moments before that Mendoza was shooting his captives.

Local news carried a report from one of the survivors who said Mendoza started randomly firing at the hostages at around 8pm She survived

after her husband, who was among the fatalities, used his body to

shield her from the spray of bullets.

Policemen initially tried to enter through the doors and windows, using sledgehammers to smash the glass. They threw tear gas inside the bus before forcing open the emergency exit in the back.

Police said Mendoza was killed by a sniper shot to the head after he wounded a police marksman.

Ambulances were lined up next to the vehicle in the pouring rain after the stand-off ended.

Apart from demanding his reinstatement, Mendoza also wanted to talk to the Philippine media and asked that his son – also a policeman – be brought to him.

He scribbled some of his demands on pieces of paper and stuck them on the bus windows.

The Hong Kong government is arranging a flight to fly hostages'

families to Manila.