Hostage-taker Ducat taken to hospital

Armando “Jun" Ducat Jr., who took hostage a busload of day-care students in March, was taken to the hospital after he complained of severe chest pains during his arraignment on Wednesday before a Manila court. Ducat and his associate, Caezar Augusto Carbonell, are facing charges of 26 counts of serious illegal detention over the 10-hour hostage drama last March 28 in front of the Bonifacio Shrine near Manila City Hall. Ducat was taken to the Ospital ng Maynila at 3 p.m. Tuesday and as of late Wednesday afternoon, was yet to be brought back to Manila City Jail where he is being detained. No bail was recommended against Ducat and Carbonell. Ducat’s lawyer, Antonius Collado, said they have already filed a motion so that the hostage-taker can be transferred to Cardinal Santos Hospital. Collado said Ducat's health condition is serious and needs medical treatment. On Tuesday, Ducat and Carbonell were arraigned at the sala of Judge Amelia Tria-Infante of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 9 and refused to enter a plea. The court entered a "not guilty" plea in their behalf. Ducat and Carbonell’s lawyer, Antonious Collado, filed urgent motion for bail and urgent motion to allow the accused to exercise their right of suffrage for the May 14 polls. The Manila Prosecutor’s Office filed 26 counts of serious illegal detention, two counts of slight illegal detention, illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosive, and violation of the gun ban under the Omnibus Election Code against Ducat and Carbonell. The other charges against Ducat and Carbonell apart from the illegal detention raps will be raffled to a regular court, according to a staff of the RTC Branch 9. Manila Prosecutor Danilo Suarez had argued that the parents of the hostaged schoolchildren had given their consent to Ducat to take custody of their minor children only for a scheduled field trip to Tagaytay City. The hostage drama ended peacefully without bloodshed when the hostage-taker and his companion released 26 kindergarten pupils, one mother and two male teachers at 7 p.m. of March 28. The incident, during which Ducat railed at length against corruption during the stand-off, was closely covered by local and international media and embarrassed police and government officials. The hostage-takers yielded two grenades said to be “dud," an Uzi and one .45 caliber pistol. Most of the parents are reportedly not keen on pursuing criminal charges against Ducatand instead insist that the hostage-taker, who owns the Musmos Day-care Center in Parola Compound, Tondo, Manila that the children attended, had been good to them. Ducat was involved in a previous hostage-taking in 1989 involving two priests, but no charges were filed, police said. He was disqualified as a congressional candidate in 2001. Ducat also previously protested high rice prices by personally pulling a wagon loaded with sacks of rice about 60 miles to Manila. In 1998, he climbed a tower to protest the candidacy of a politician, whom Ducat said was not a Filipino citizen. -GMANews.TV