Cops rescue girl from hostage-taker

CEBU, Philippines - Policemen rescued an eight-year-old girl who was held hostage by a 25-year-old laborer believed to be suffering from depression in Barangay Apas, Cebu City yesterday morning.

The hostage crisis lasted for almost two hours as Cebu City Police Office director Melvin Ramon negotiated with the suspect, Paul Guigue, until he gave in and released the girl.

According to neighbors, the girl was playing outside their house prior to the incident.

At past 9 a.m., Guigue grabbed the girl, a Grade 2 student of Barrio Luz Elementary School, and pointed a scissor and an improvised ice pick at her.

The girl’s aunt, Janissa Lloveras, 33, immediately called for police assistance.

Witnesses said the suspect was demanding money as he wanted to return to Bohol.

The girl’s parents were not around during the incident. Her father is a security guard at a mall in Apas while her mother is a vendor.

Around 50 policemen from different CCPO units arrived and immediately surrounded Guigue. Buenafe then arrived and negotiated with the suspect to surrender.

“We negotiated slowly so the suspect won’t panic. I repeatedly told him to look into my eyes so he would understand what I was talking until I held his hand that carried the bladed instrument,” Buenafe said.

The negotiation lasted for about 20 minutes, before police were able to subdue the hostage-taker.

Buenafe said the suspect tried to struggle but was restrained by the policemen.

The girl, who already looked pale, was then rescued and was turned over to paramedics of the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation.

Buenafe said social workers will conduct stress debriefing on the girl. At the CCPO headquarters, the suspect was brought to Buenafe’s office where he was given bread.

The suspect, in an interview, said he held the girl hostage as he heard rumors that someone is trying to kill him and his family.

But he said he had no intention to kill the girl.

“It (the incident) was just a threat. I did not know what I was doing,” Guigue said.

Guigue, a native of Panglao, Bohol, admitted sniffing rugby and drinking liquor when he was in Bohol.

Last Tuesday night, Guigue said he was only able to sleep a little. He said he didn’t take any illegal drugs.

Buenafe said they gave Guigue P800 because the suspect pleaded to go back to Bohol. Before going to Cebu City, the suspect stayed in Negros Occidental for five months. 

In Cebu City, he stayed with his father, a massage therapist. Yesterday was his fourth day here.

Buenafe said they will have the suspect undergone psychiatric evaluation before deciding on charges to be filed against him.

Meanwhile, Mayor Michael Rama commended the CCPO for peacefully solving the incident.

He said the incident only proves Buenafe’s “capability” to handle such problem, the reason why he wanted the city police director to stay.

 “I want to keep Buenafe,” he said. With Liv G. Campo/LPM - THE FREEMAN