Bong Revilla, Juvenile Hostages Reunited
In an emotional ceremony, comebacking Senator Bong Revilla reunited with the 26 juvenile hostages he helped rescue and negotiated to safety on March 28, 2007.
The students of the Musmos Daycare Center in Parola Compound, Tondo, Manila, who were aged 4 to 7 then, were on a field trip to Tagaytay when their bus was ordered to stop in front of the Bonifacio Shrine in Manila by Jun Ducat at gunpoint, armed with an uzi and grenade.
Ducat, who owned and operated the Daycare center demanded to see Revilla and would only talk to him. Bong would eventually offer himself as a hostage in exchange for the children, and after over 15 hours of negotiations and drama, Bong Revilla was able to safely rescue every child and turn-over Ducat to the authorities without any casualty.
Zaynoh Irish Pacheco, who was only 5 years old then and suffering from fever, was the first student rescued by the lawmaker.
Bong Revilla continues to support the education of all 26 children and was happy to see them all grown up with a number of them already moving up to Senior High School, Pacheco included.
