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After over four hours, a soldier who was holding hostage 31 people inside a bus in the town of Del Gallego, Camarines Sur, has surrendered.
READ: Man holds hostage Manila-bound Peñafrancia Tours bus
Senior Supt. Walfredo Pornillos, Camarines Sur Police Provincial Director, said Army Corporal Rene Prajele surrendered to the police at 4:26pm.
He said Corporal Prajele took hostage the passengers of a Peñafrancia bus with plate number TYZ 380 bound for Cubao.
The suspect was reportedly in full battle gear and was armed with an M16 rifle, a caliber .45 gun and a hand grenade.
Reports do elaborate on Prajele’s motive was for taking the bus passengers hostage. An ANC report said that his family problems pushed him to take the bus passengers hostage.
Authorities said Corporal Prajele, who is stationed at the 31st Infantry Battalion headquarters in Sorsogon, boarded the bus in Pamplona before he declared hostage in a highway part of Barangay Comadaycaday.
Prajele originally demanded to be brought to Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, where he said he would surrender.
The suspect has been brought to Army’s 9th Infantry Division in Pili, Camarines Sur.
No passengers were injured.
Authorities are also investigating how Prajele was able to leave the headquarters while wearing full battle gear. —from a report by Mylce Mella, ABS-CBN News Bicol
Photo: Mylce Mella, ABS-CBN News Bicol
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
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