Police: Hostage-taker did not kill self

The Philippine National Police said on Wednesday there is no evidence showing that the former police officer who held Hong Kong tourists hostage in Manila on Monday, had killed himself. PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said the gunshot wounds on dismissed Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza were from high-powered firearms. On Monday, in front of the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, Mendoza hijacked a tourist bus carrying 21 Hong Kong tourists and four Filipinos. After an 11-hour bloody drama, nine people died — Mendoza and eight tourists. "There is no indication nagbaril sa sarili. M-16 rifle, high-powered rifle ang tumama sa kanya (There is no indication he shot himself. Our initial tests showed he died from gunshot wounds caused by a high-powered M-16 rifle)," Cruz said in a briefing, parts of which were aired on dzBB radio. Cruz said they recovered around 59 shells from an M-16 rifle from inside the bus, as well as shells from a cal-.45 pistol. Meanwhile, he said the PNP is analyzing Mendoza's cell phone to see whom he spoke with before the assault. "Yan iniimbestigahan pa, pati lahat na conversation (We are analyzing it, along with clues about his last conversations)," he said. Meanwhile, the bodies of seven of the hostages were brought to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at noon Wednesday. At least two mobile police teams escorted the remains to the NAIA's cargo area. – VVP, GMANews.TV