Bacoor hostage stand-off ends safely—police

MANILA, Philippines—Armed robbers who held eight people hostage at a bank in Bacoor, Cavite released all their captives unharmed and surrendered after a stand-off lasting more than two hours, police said.

The four robbers at the Masuerte Rural Bank initially set free a bookkeeper, who had a health problem, and negotiators later convinced them to release the remaining seven bank employees, said Calabarzon police director Chief Superintendent Gil Meneses.

The gunmen were robbing the bank when responding policemen arrived. The robbers then seized eight bank workers, Philippine National Police spokesman Agrimero Cruz said.

“They have all come out and they have released all their hostages,” Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla said on ABS-CBN television.

“We had negotiations and the robbers were OK. They were calm and our negotiations had the right result.” With Agence France-Presse

First posted 3:09 pm | Thursday, October 13th, 2011