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Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Police storm courtroom, kill hostage-taker
MANILA -- Police stormed a courtroom to end a two-day hostage crisis Wednesday, killing the gunman and freeing all four captives who were held by the movie stuntman and his common-law wife.
Gunshots and a blast rang out inside the Taguig city court in suburban Manila as police went in.
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Moments later, city spokesman Anna Santos confirmed the gunman, Almario Villegas, was fatally shot and the hostages rescued unharmed.
Taguig City Mayor Sigfrido "Freddie" Tinga said the hostage-taker tried to jumped off the building and, perhaps, to a waiting vehicle earlier requested for his use, but the raiding police team caught up with him.
"He is out of his mind. One time you talk to him and his okay, the next moment he was not focused and seemed out of his mind," Tinga said in an interview over a television news network.
Tinga said the hostages looked traumatized and were each led to an ambulance and brought to a nearby medical center for check up.
Villegas' wife also was alive, and among those led out of the building.
The hostage-taker remained inside the second floor courtroom of the Taguig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 166 Judge Ramon Pacis overnight, along with the hostages, Attorney Dona Donuan, and Liwanag Saloma, branch clerk of court and stenographer as well as the complainants in the case, Gina Ramos and Frederick Villegas.
Tinga said Villegas, a character actor and stuntman, and his lover Delia de La Cruz did not ask for anything other than expressing their anger over a land dispute that ripened into a four-year legal battle.
Villegas took the four persons as hostages during the preliminary conference of the case at 2:50 p.m. on Tuesday after a disagreement erupted over the postponement of the trial. (Sunnex/With AH and AP)
(March 14, 2007 issue)
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