Deadly end for hostage taker

Police stormed a courtroom in Taguig yesterday to end a day-old hostage crisis, killing the gunman and freeing all four of his hostages and a girlfriend.

Gunshots and an explosion rang out from the Taguig City court as police SWAT teams emerged from the smoke after killing hostage-taker Almario Villegas, who dropped a grenade that exploded in his face.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Reynaldo Varilla said Villegas, a character actor who used to play bit roles in television shows, tried to fight it out with responding policemen triggering an exchange of gunfire.

Bautista’s girlfriend, Delia de la Cruz, on the other hand, was taken into custody by the police after the assault at around 1:30 p.m. She may be charged as an accomplice, police said.

"The crisis is over," Varilla declared. "The good thing is all hostages are safe and only the hostage-taker is dead."

Varilla said they were trying to convince Bautista to surrender as the crisis dragged into its second day.

But as the captives piled out of the courtroom, Bautista apparently changed his mind and fired at a policeman, missing him.

The officer fired back and in the confusion, Bautista dropped the grenade he was holding, which exploded, killing him instantly and burning half his face, Varilla said.

"The hostage crisis could have been resolved Tuesday night if not only for Bautista’s unpredictable moods. We have given him all that he requested — the people he wanted to talk to and the manner on how the negotiations with him should be conducted," Varilla said adding that all the negotiations with Bautista were made through telephone calls.

"We were not able to personally check on the hostages because that’s what he wanted, for us or any one of our men not to get inside the room," he added.

The four hostages – Branch 266 Clerk of Court Donna Dunuan, stenographer Liwanag Saloma, Gina Ramos and legal counsel Frederick Ballesteros, were all safely rescued.

Southern Police District (SPD) director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales said Ramos was pistol whipped by Bautista and Ballesteros was kicked and punched during the 24-hour standoff.

The drama began Tuesday afternoon when Bautista - earlier identified by police as Almario Villegas — pulled a pistol after a disagreement during a hearing over a land dispute case filed by Ramos against the slain suspect and De la Cruz.

Bautista went berserk after Ramos refused to reset the scheduled preliminary conference concerning the foreclosed mortgage property.

A court stenographer was able to escape, but Bautista and De la Cruz held hostage Ramos, Dunuan, Saloma and Ballesteros.

Bautista bragged he had a grenade and was a former Marine, which was later denied by the Philippine Marine Corps.

Video footage showed Bautista, clad in a red shirt, brandishing a pistol and grenade inside the court.

At one point, he kicked a hostage, gave a menacing stare at journalists gathered outside and briefly pointed his gun at them.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno arrived briefly at the scene early yesterday to convince Bautista to surrender.

Puno gave an assurance that the land dispute involving Bautista would be handled fairly.

Mayor Sigfrido Tinga said they exhausted all means not to harm the hostages.

Tinga said earlier Bautista and De la Cruz made no specific demands, but later asked for P3 million in ransom.

Tinga and police officials, who negotiated via cell phone, said they wanted to end the drama peacefully but were left with no choice when Bautista opened fire.

"Bautista was a complicated person to deal with. You can see that in the end, he was the one who broke the agreement signed by all parties concerned," Tinga said.

Rosales added they abided by their agreement with Bautista. He said Bautista had agreed to surrender his .22 caliber pistol and grenade while he was to be escorted by his policeman-friend Jimmy Rondon in a getaway car. Rondon had showed up after being requested at the scene.

Rosales said they had just learned Bautista has a standing warrant of arrest for murder of a Taguig judge several years ago.

Apart from the gun and the hand grenade, investigators discovered Bautista had smuggled another grenade inside the Hall of Justice.

The circumstances prompted Puno to order a review of the security measures in all courts nationwide.

Puno said he had instructed the Supreme Court’s Office of the Court Administrator headed by Christopher Lock to review the contracts made by the Taguig Hall of Justice with Northern Security Agency.

"I understand there were five security guards posted at that time in the Taguig Hall of Justice but it seems that considering the place, these are not sufficient. Anyway, we are ordering (an) investigation on this security lapse... we’ll see what we can do about the contract in case there is finding of lapses on their part," Puno said.

Authorities were forced to suspend classes in nearby Upper Bicutan Elementary School and Upper Bicutan National High School during the 23-hour standoff. - with AFP, AP, Jaime Laude, Sandy Araneta