Gunmen take 20 hostages in Misamis

Gunmen took about 20 bus passengers hostage in Misamis Occidental yesterday, following what appeared to be a foiled robbery attempt, police said.

Police in Sapangdalaga, a town in southern Misamis Occidental province, stopped the bus for a routine security check when two men onboard brandished weapons and refused to get out, said provincial police chief Mario Yanga.

After a standoff, during which police threw a cordon around the bus, the gunmen ordered the driver to take the vehicle to an unknown destination, said police Inspector Richard Aglipay, adding police were in "hot pursuit."

"What is important to us is to secure the safety of the passengers," Aglipay said.

The hostages are all believed to be women and children, a local radio station reported. — AP