According to CNN, despite claims that violence will not be used if possible, the Manila police charged the bus a few minutes ago, guns blazing. According to CNN correspondent Anna Coren, at least one civilian has been hit by a stray bullet.
A police spokesman said that Mendoza at one point sprayed machine gun fire at the hostage, without giving any details whether anybody had been hurt. When the police assault began, at least 15 other people were being held hostages by the former police inspector, most of them Hong Kong nationals. Apparently, the bus does not belong to public transportation services in Manila, but is a tour bus.
55-year old Mendoza had been fired from the Manila District Police after being found to have been extorting Christian Kalaw, a chef of Mandarin Hotel and forcing him to swallow shabu, a Japanese version of the hot pot.
Mendoza, who until about an hour ago had been cooperating with police, wrote his demands on a piece of paper which he then placed in the windshield of the bus. Strangely enough, among the demands Mendoza also wrote “Big deal will start after 3 p.m. today."
The situation is under development right now, with the police still outside of the bus with the guns ready. The curtains are drawn so its impossible to see anything inside the bus. We'll provide you with updates as they become available.
UPDATE: Rolando Mendoza was killed in the gunfire exchange. According to the latest reports, seven other people, all hostages, have been killed in the shooting,
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