MANILA - A comic book on the exploits of Davao City Mayor and presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte also shows the hostage-taking of Australian Jaqueline Hamill and 14 other victims inside the Davao City prison in 1989.

The comic book "Digong: Ang Kanlungan ng mga Inaapi at Inaabuso" by KC Cordero and JM Estrabela, with art by Karl Comendador, shows how Duterte agreed to give himself up to the group of convict Felipe Pugoy in exchange for the hostages after the prisoners tried to flee Davao Penal Colony.

The comic book shows Pugoy holding a knife to Duterte's throat while the mayor tells him: "Kung ano man ang puwede kong maitulong sa mga kaso mo, sabihin mo at baka may magagawa ako."

The next panel shows Pugoy back in prison, and then the story recounts another hostage incident months later inside Camp Leonor in August 1989. Some of the hostages were "prayer warriors" of the Joyful Assembly of God, including Australian missionary Jaqueline Hamill, who was gang raped and killed during the incident.

The comic book shows Duterte being informed that the hostages were killed while the women were raped inside the prison. The next page then shows the aftermath of the assault in the prison.

"Pinatay na nila lahat ang hostages, kailangan pa ba ang negosasyon? And besides, I don't negotiate with criminals!" Duterte says in the comic.

Artist Comendador earlier said he finished the comic book last year.

A movie about the incident, titled "Pugoy Hostage: Davao" starring Ian Veneracion, was also released in 1992.

The hostage incident has regained new interest after Duterte's controversial remark over Hamill's rape.

In a campaign rally on April 12 in Quezon City, the tough-talking mayor described the missionary as very beautiful and likened her to an American actress.

"T***a, sayang ito. Ang napasok sa isip ko, ni-rape nila. Pinagpilahan nila. Nagalit ako kasi ni-rape. Oo, isa rin yun. Napakaganda. Dapat ang mayor muna ang mauna," he said, drawing laughter from his supporters.

He later owned up to his remarks but said it was uttered in anger over what happened and not meant as a joke.

"In my utter anger, gutter language yan eh. Salitang kanto. Nung binuksan ko, o ito, galit ako nagsasalita. Ang ganda-ganda pa, mukhang artista galing Amerika. P***a, naunahan pa ako. Patayin mo lahat! Sa galit iyun. I was not joking," he said on Sunday.

He added: "I am sorry to the Filipino people. It's my style. It's my mouth, I said it in the heat of anger but listen to the story behind."

CORY TO DUTERTE: RESOLVE IT PEACEFULLY

Duterte told reporters Sunday that in the first incident, he received instructions from President Cory Aquino to deal with the hostage crisis involving Pugoy's group in Davao Penal Colony involving 16 victims.

The mayor, who was then the regional chairman of the Peace and Order Council, said the hostage-takers were allowed to leave the penal colony and were already in Agusan province when he caught up with them.

He said he offered himself to Pugoy as hostage in exchange for the release of a three-month-old baby and the baby's aunt.

After the exchange, he said he told the hostage-takers to go to his office in Davao City Hall so that they could take showers. He also confirmed that a knife was held to his throat during the hostage-taking although he was unharmed "because I told the soldiers to kill us all if they saw me bleeding."

Duterte said that while the situation was resolved peacefully with the hostage-takers' surrender, there was a point when he wanted to shoot Pugoy and three others if not for the intervention of Congressman Jesus Dureza.

"Patapos na sana yun pero si Dureza, ever the peaceful man, tinawagan niya si Cory. Tapos tumawag si Cory sa akin. Sabi niya: 'Mayor, I want that hostage-taking there resolved peacefully.' E di wala ako magawa. Actually tapos na sana. Si Jess Dureza lang ang ayaw," he said.

Months later, Pugoy's group again took hostages inside the then Davao Metrodiscom on August 13, 1989.

One of the hostages was Hamill.

Duterte said the hostage-takers raped Hamill and then used her, a child and another woman as human shields while demanding for a jeep so they could leave the prison.

A UCANews report said Pugoy himself was holding Hamill by the waist while they were moving to a basketball court in front of the prison when shots rang out. Survivors said Hamill and Pugoy were wounded in the shooting.

A military officer later rescued Hamill but she was declared dead on arrival at the Davao Doctors Hospital.