At least seven captives survived, four of whom were seen crawling out the back door of the bus after Philippine police stormed it Monday evening when the hostage-taker started shooting at the 15 Chinese tourists inside, said police Senior Superintendent Nelson Yabut.
Police and ambulances were lined up next to the vehicle in pouring rain after the standoff ended. Local hospitals reported eight bodies of hostages were brought in. One other hostage was hospitalized in critical condition, and five others were unharmed.
The bloodshed rattled the Philippines and raised questions about police ability to deal with hostage-takings.
Hong Kong issued a warning against travel to the Philippines and requested that Hong Kong tourists still in the country return. All upcoming trips arranged by tour groups were also canceled.
“I am very saddened by this tragedy. I am angered by the cold-blooded behavior of this murderer,” said Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang.
The crisis began when the dismissed policeman, Rolando Mendoza, 55, armed with a M16 rifle seized the busload of Hong Kong tourists to demand his reinstatement in the force.
According to newspaper reports from 2008, he was among five officers who had been charged with robbery, extortion and grave threats after a Manila hotel chef filed a complaint alleging the policemen falsely accused him of using drugs to extort money.
Mendoza released nine hostages during the afternoon, leaving 15 inside. Those freed included two women, three children, a diabetic man and three Filipinos — including a tour guide and a photographer, police said.
Despite hopes that negotiations could bring the standoff to a peaceful conclusion, tensions escalated as night closed in.
Police said they stormed the bus after they saw Mendoza open fire on hostages. Crouching outside the vehicle, commandos in flak jackets, used a hammer to bash in side windows, the door and windscreen, although it was some time before they eventually gained entry.
Moments before the commandos moved in, the Filipino bus driver fled.
A survivor accused the authorities of acting too late and turning a blind eye to their ordeal. The Hong Kong woman, who identified herself as Mrs. Leung, told reporters that her husband was killed as he tried to stop Mendoza from attacking other passengers on the bus.
Leung, still in shock as she was carried out of the bus, demanded to know why Manila police came to their rescue so late. "It's too late. Why were there no one to help us after so many hours?" she asked at the scene of the siege, in comments broadcast on Hong Kong's Cable TV.
