A bus carrying 22 South Korean tourists has reportedly been hijacked by a former police officer in the Philippines.

DPA reported Monday that the dismissed police officer hijacked the bus carrying 22 South Korean tourists and three Filipinos at a beach near Manila. AFP also made a similar report on the hijacking.

Local police say that negotiations are under way to get the 25 hostages freed.

The South Korean Embassy in the Philippines has dispatched staffers to the scene but has yet to obtain detailed information about the kidnapper’s motives or demands.

Meanwhile, there is a conflicting report over the nationalities of the kidnapped passengers. The Associated Press quoted a local police officer as saying that most of the hostages were from Hong Kong and that six of them, including two women, have already been released.