A man who took a busload of children and teachers hostage from his day-care center in Manila Wednesday freed them all unharmed following a 9-hour standoff during which he decried corruption and demanded better treatment for poor children.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo described the event as "an embarrassment" for her country and had asked for a peaceful resolution from police.

Hostage-taker Armando "Jun" Ducat Jr. entered a police truck with pro-administration senatorial candidate Luis "Chavit" Singson and Senator Ramon Bong Revilla who led the negotiations and guaranteed he would not be harmed upon surrendering. Ducat was taken to the Manila Police District for a medical check-up before facing charges.

Ducat surrendered at 07:05 PM and released his young captives, who were hugged by relatives as they exited the bus. They were then escorted to hospital for a medical check-up with social welfare officials later announcing all the children and teachers were in good health.

A teary-eyed Ducat, still armed with a rifle and a grenade, was captured by TV cameras kissing the children as they got off the bus.

Journalists, both Filipino and international, watched the drama unwind at a square near the City Hall as night fell.

At Ducat's request, candles were lit around the square, to symbolize the hopeful steps he was asking the country to take.

A police spokesman for Chief Superintendent Cipriano Querol revealed earlier that Ducat would be charged with multiple of crimes including kidnapping, but promised he would not be physically harmed.

Querol revealed that Ducat had been driving the bus when it set off from Tondo, a poor and crime-ridden district of Manila, in the morning, allegedly heading for Tagaytay, a volcano lake resort town 50 kilometers south of Manila.

One of the children on the bus was released after contracting a fever.

The spokesman further revealed that authorities had accepted to Ducat's demand that  free education be given to the 145 kids in his day-care center catering to poor children.

Ducat also criticized the politicians for corruption and neglecting the poor and called upon Filipinos to boycott the upcoming May elections. His two emotional speeches were given from the bus through cell phones.

20 years ago, Ducat had already been involved in another hostage-taking case but had not faced charges. He made a failed bid for Congress in 2001 and was reportedly running for a neighborhood councilor's seat in the May elections.

His relatives and friends have denied he suffered from any mental or psychological problems.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2007)