Soldier who held hostage bus passengers in Bicol surrenders

LEGAZPI CITY – The Army soldier who took hostage a Manila-bound Panafrancia Tour bus along Maharlika Highway in Del Gallego, Camarines Sur, past noon Friday has yielded to a joint Army-police hostage crisis team.

Corporal Rene Prajele of the 31^st Infantry Battalion based in Sorsogon, upon his surrender at around 5 p.m., told the hostage crisis team that he only wanted to speak with his battalion commander to discuss personal matters.

Chief Superintendent Victor Deona, Bicol police chief, said Prajele, who is a native of Agdaan, Baao, Camarines Sur, also said he did not have plans to hurt any of the bus passengers.

An earlier Army report said Prajele had been “disturbed” over family problems.

Prajele was in full Army uniform armed with M16 rifle when he left the 31IB headquarters in Sorsogon on Friday morning and proceeded to the Sorsogon City bus terminal, where he rode a Bobis Liner bus bound for Manila.

While the bus was negotiating the Maharlika Highway along the vicinity of Libmanan and Pasacao town in Camarine Sur, he alighted and transferred to the Panafrancia Tour bus bound for Manila from Naga City.

His Army commander, upon learning of his sudden absence, alerted the other Army and PNP units in the area about the suspect who seemed to have a personal problem.

The alert signalled a joint Army-Police checkpoint to stop the bus at about 1 p.m. in Barangay Comadaycaday, Del Gallego town in Camarines Sur.

The checkpoint was later joined by the hostage crisis team led by Army Col. Amador Tabuga, Jr. 31IB commader, the mayor and police chief of Del Gallego. AU

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