Couple seizes hostages in courtroom

A gunman and his common-law wife seized four hostages inside a courtroom at the Taguig City Regional Trial Court yesterday just across the Metro Manila police headquarters.

The incident followed a disagreement during a preliminary hearing of a civil land dispute between Delia de la Cruz, the common-law wife of gunman Almario Villegas, and a landlady Grace Ramos, said Mayor Sigfrido Tinga.

Tinga expressed confidence the crisis would be resolved peacefully as Villegas, a character actor and former Philippine Marine soldier, and De la Cruz made no specific demands and were only "airing their grievances" over the foreclosure of their mortgaged property.

"They said they were penniless but still being slapped with this case," Tinga told reporters.

The complainant, Ramos, was refusing a request by Villegas to reschedule the preliminary hearing because their lawyer was not in court. The refusal apparently angered Villegas, who whipped out a pistol, Taguig government spokeswoman Anna Santos said.

Santos said a stenographe was able to escape, leaving behind Ramos, court clerk Donna Dunluan, stenographer Liwanag Saloma, Ramos’ lawyer and another person. Reporters at the scene later heard four gunshots, but Santos said no one was injured. The police said Villegas fired four warning shots.

The judge wasn’t in the courtroom since his presence was not required at that stage of the case, Santos said.

She said Villegas claimed he was also armed with a grenade. It was unclear how he was able to bring the weapons into the courthouse, she said.

Tinga, Vice Mayor George Elias, Councilor Jun Duenas and police chief Superintendent Alfred Corpuz were negotiating with the couple as of press time.

Tinga, however, said that Villegas was not asking for anything and was only reiterating that he would want the preliminary conference of the case reset.

"(Villegas) has no demands at all. We have already notified his lawyer to come here so that he can be persuaded to give himself in and release the hostages," Tinga told reporters.

Police special weapons and tactics teams surrounded the compound.

Tinga wants an investigation to find out how Villegas was able to bring in weapons inside the courthouse.– With AP