Police in the Philippines have surrounded a bus seized by a former policeman armed with an automatic rifle, who has taken 24 passengers hostage, most of them tourists from Hong Kong.
Firearms officers shot out the tyres of the vehicle after gunshots were heard from inside.
The policeman – who was sacked from the Manila force a year ago – seized the hostages in an attempt to demand his reinstatement, police in the Philippines capital said.
He was identified as Rolando Mendoza, a 55-year-old former senior inspector. Mendoza's brother, Gregorio, a senior police officer, was heard helping to negotiate with him.
The gunman earlier released nine hostages. He asked for food for those remaining on the bus and fuel to keep the air-conditioning system going.
A handwritten note signed by Mendoza was stuck to the door of the bus, saying: "Big deal will start after 3PM today". A sign stuck to a window said: "3pm today dead lock". The deadline passed without incident.
A note saying: "Big mistake to correct a big wrong decision" was also stuck to the door of the bus. A larger piece of paper on the windscreen said: "Release final decision" and gave what appeared to be details of his case.
Mendoza had demanded that he be given back his job a year after being sacked, said the Manila police chief, Rodolfo Magtibay.
Fidel Posadas, the force's deputy director of operations, said Mendoza had "released children, the elderly and the sick. He is showing signs of kindness and I think this will be resolved peacefully".
Mendoza hitched a lift from the historic walled city of Intramuros on the bus and then declared he was taking the passengers hostage when it reached Jose Rizal park, alongside Manila Bay. The Guardian
