MANILA, Philippines (5th UPDATE) – A 5-hour hostage drama ended Wednesday after the hostage-taker surrendered without a fight to authorities in Navotas City.

Suspect Esmeraldo Olarte Yarcia, 27, held hostage Amy Perez, the college's administrative assistant, at knife-point inside the administration office at the 2nd floor-left wing of Navotas Polytechnic College.

Police said the hostage drama began at around 8:15 a.m. and ended past 1 p.m. It was unclear what triggered the hostage-taking although a cousin of the suspect said Yarcia had been complaining about getting an "incomplete" grade in several subjects.

Congressman Toby Tiangco, however, denied that this was the reason for the hostage crisis. A DZMM report said it was not the first time that Yarcia had tried to conduct a hostage-taking.

Media request denied

Yarcia wanted to talk to a TV reporter but the congressman rejected the request. A tabloid photographer, Roger Panizal, was sent inside the building but was rejected by the hostage-taker.

Police also requested media to limit the broadcast of the hostage drama, as the suspect was reportedly monitoring the situation from a television inside the office.

Tiangco said Yarcia surrendered without injuring his hostage. The victim was immediately brought to hospital after the hostage crisis.

Manila hostage crisis negotiator

A crisis management team was formed Wednesday morning to deal with the situation.

Colonel Antonio Militar was designated as the chief negotiator for the hostage crisis, while Navotas City police chief Colonel Florendo Quibuyen was tasked to be the ground commander.

Also spotted in the college compound was Police Superintendent Orlando Yebra, one of the negotiators in the Manila hostage crisis on August 2010.

It was not clear, however, what role Yebra played in the crisis management team. – reports from Dennis Datu, dzMM; Rafael Santos, ABS-CBN News