MANILA, Philippines?Senior Police Officer 2 Gregorio Mendoza, the brother of hostage-taking cop, Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, walked out of negotiations with his beleaguered brother on Monday evening, urging him to surrender peacefully.

Gregorio walked away from the negotiations within five minutes, telling his brother "Walang mangyayari dito (Nothing will happen here)."

Mendoza seized a tourist bus full of Chinese tourists from Hong Kong on Monday morning to protest his dismissal from service early this year, on charges that he tortured a drug suspect and attempted to extort money from him.

Mendoza has so far freed nine of at least 25 hostages, the latest a Filipino, Danilo Medril, 64. Medril walked to the huddle of cops stationed beside the Quirino Grandstand, where the hostage drama has been unfolding since Monday morning.

Aside from Medril, Mendoza has released eight people: two women (who had asked to be allowed to go to the comfort room), another woman, her two daughters and her son, a middle-aged man said to be diabetic, and another Chinese male tourist.