Tears, fears for parents of Philippine hostages

Updated at 4.55 pm

The hostage-takers surrendered to the police

MANILA: Gemma Arroyo was near hysterical as she reached the police line cordoning off the bus in downtown Manila where her six-year-old daughter was among 32 children being held hostage.

"Please, please sir, let our children out," Arroyo wailed as she tried to break through the police line.

She said she had thought her daughter was at a mountain resort, the destination of the pre-school's field trip, when she heard the news.

"They do that every year and then I saw the hostage drama on television. My heart broke," Arroyo said, tears streaming down her face.

Another terrified mother was screaming hysterically, demanding that police and negotiators do something to get the children freed.

Police cordoned off an entire lock around Manila city hall as anxious parents and relatives tried to make sense of why the head of the pre-school centre himself, Jun Ducat, had taken his young charges hostage.

"He told us it was a field trip. We knew Mr Ducat and he has been very kind. Please let our children go," said Clara Moreno. "They are innocent. We know you set up the school, so we don't understand why you are doing this."

She said she feared for her son, Reynard, because he easily gets scared by guns and armed men on television.

Claiming to be armed with grenades and handguns, Ducat and two other associates hijacked the bus and demanded to go on the airwaves.