Gunman releases hostages after day-long standoff in Philippines shopping centre

One casualty reported after recently dismissed security guard opens fire in Manila mall

A day-long hostage crisis at a shopping centre in Manila was brought to an end after a recently dismissed security guard released dozens of people and turned himself over to the police, according to Philippine officials.

The man, identified by local authorities as Archie Paray, a former guard at the complex, left the V-Mall in suburban San Juan city on Monday evening with his hostages, who were secured by police.

The suspect was allowed to speak to reporters and authorities to outline his grievances against his former superiors, whom he accused of corruption and abuse, before police approached and subdued him.

Authorities say the man shot a security officer in the morning before rushing to the second floor of the mall, where he held dozens of people, mostly employees, hostage in an office.

More than a dozen SWAT commandos and a team of negotiators were later seen entering the evacuated shopping centre.

A lengthy standoff followed before the man, who claimed to be armed with a grenade, agreed to release his hostages.

“He felt bad because he was removed as a guard,” Francis Zamora, the mayor of Manila, said. He added that the gunman had tried but failed to convince fellow security guards to take part in the shooting.

“He was trying to initially to get the other guards to join him for some sort of coup d’etat against the mall management.”

Mr Zamora added that the man who had been shot was in hospital in a stable condition.

The shopping complex, popular for its restaurants, shops, bars and a bazaar, lies near an affluent residential area of Manila and the city’s military headquarters.