Boy,15, takes sister hostage

MANILA, Philippines - Armed with a bladed weapon and claiming someone was out to kill him, a 15-year-old boy allegedly took his sister hostage for six hours inside their house in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan yesterday.

After failing to convince the boy to release his 12-year-old sister, police officers stormed the house in Barangay Minuyan, disarmed the boy and rescued the victim, said Senior Superintendent Ferdinand Divina, Bulacan police director.

Divina said they were verifying reports that the teenager was under the influence of illegal drugs during the hostage-taking.

The boy and his sister were placed under the custody of the provincial social welfare and development office.

Divina said the boy locked himself and his sister inside a room between 2 a.m. to 3 a.m.

A neighbor, Lenita Diosan, said she heard the suspect shouting that the robbers took him and his sister hostage.

During the negotiation, the police officers found out that the hostage-taker was the boy himself.