Manila Hostage Drama

MANILA, Philippines – Hostage-taker Armando “Jun” Ducat was taken to the Ospital ng Maynila yesterday afternoon after he complained of chest pains during his arraignment for 27 counts of serious illegal detention.

During the 40-minute proceedings, the 56-year-old engineer seemed to be suffering from shortness of breath; his hands were shaking. When Judge Amelia Tria-Infante of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 9 asked Ducat how he was, his lawyer, Antonious Collado, answered that his client was “not feeling well.”

Ducat was immediately examined by a doctor who recommended that he be taken to the hospital for a checkup after his arraignment.

Upon the advice of their lawyers, Ducat and his coaccused, Caezar Carbonell, did not enter a plea, prompting the judge to enter a not guilty plea in their behalf.

“We did not enter a plea because we are questioning and condemning the information filed. We believe there was no probable cause to charge them with illegal detention,” said William de los Santos, Carbonell’s counsel.

The defense earlier said the evidence against their clients was weak because no one filed a complaint against the two.

Apart from the 27 counts of serious illegal detention, Ducat and Carbonell also face two counts of slight illegal detention and violation of the election gun ban for taking 26 children and three teachers hostage on March 28.

Collado, meanwhile, asked the court to allow his client to undergo a more extensive medical checkup. He earlier told the court that Ducat underwent an angioplasty days before the hostage-taking incident. With Aaron John del Rosario