About 32 students and two teachers, who were on Wednesday taken hostage by a man and his two associates in Philippines capital Manila, were freed after a seven-hour drama.

Amando 'Jun' Ducat and his two associates drove the abducted children in a tourist bus from Ducat's day-care centre to the City Hall in Philippines capital Manila.

The men, who claimed to be armed with two grenades, an assault rifle and a .45-caliber pistol, sought better lives for the children in the day-care centre.

"I love these kids. That is why I am here. I invited the children for a field trip. You can be assured that I cannot hurt the children. In case I need to shed blood, I will not be the first to fire. I am telling the policemen, have pity on these children," Ducat, the owner of the 145-student day-care centre, told DZMM radio by mobile phone.

The hostage taker had earlier announced that he would surrender by 1630 hours (IST) even as bomb squads and SWAT teams watched from behind a nearby monument with medical teams on standby.

"We acceded to that condition. We assured him that he will be in safe hands after he surrenders and that nothing will happen to him," police spokesman Chief Superintendent Cipriano Querol said.

Image: One of the students being held hostage peers from the bus during the hostage drama.
Photograph: Joel Nito/AFP/Getty Images