Man holds family hostage in Las Piñas

MANILA, Philippines –  Tension gripped a subdivision in Las Piñas City when a man held his family and household members for three hours yesterday afternoon.

An initial report from the Southern Police District said Mario Lauchengco held his wife, child, and houseboy hostage in Soldier’s Hills Subdivision.

City police chief Senior Superintendent Romulo Sapitula, however, downplayed the incident as a domestic problem, saying that there was no deadly weapon involved.

According to Sapitula, the incident was reported to them by a relative who received text messages from Lauchengco’s wife that her husband allegedly “refuses to let them go.”

This prompted the police to deploy members of the Special Weapons and Tactics to the area.

“At noon, he was breaking bottles outside the house,” Sapitula said.

After three hours’ negotiation, Lauchengco set his wife and children free, unhurt, police said.

When Sapitula asked the wife if she wants to go back to her husband, “she said no,” the police official said.

The family’s psychiatrist reportedly joined the police in convincing Lauchengco to let his family go.

Sapitula said he will assign police officers to look after Lauchengco.