Philippines Day-Care Owner Takes Kids Hostage

Demanding better housing and education for children, a Philippines day-care owner takes a bus load of kids hostage.

Jun Ducat and at least one other hostage-taker scribbled in large letters on a sheet of paper, taped to the bus' windshield, that they were holding 32 children and two teachers and were armed with two grenades, an assault rifle and a pistol, officer Mark Andal said. Ducat said the reason he took the kids hostage and drove them to City Hall in Manila is because he loves and cares for the health and well being of the children. These children are from the Tondo district of Manila which is one of the poorest districts in Manila. The age of these children were unknown, but judging by news reports these children seemed to be preschoolers or kids of early elementary age. Ducat said that he would not harm the children, but that he was only looking out for their health and well being. Ducat seems to be a man of his word because he allowed a child running a fever to be taken off the bus. With the day time temperature around 93 degrees, Ducat also kept the bus running so that the air conditioning would stay on and keep the bus cool for the kids. This was not the first kidnapping attempt for Ducat. In 1989, Ducat had taken two priests hostage with fake grenades over a contract dispute. The priests; however, refused to press charges after they were released. Manila Mayor Lito Atienza calls Ducat a very passionate person, but the mayor did not agree with the methods used by Ducat. Ducat does indeed seem to be a passionate person because in 1998 he climbed a water tower to protest against a politician running for office because Ducat claimed this person was not a real Filipino citizen.