Ten-hour standoff ends peacefully: Ex-OFW takes family hostage

CEBU, Philippines - A former Overseas Filipino Worker caused a tense ten-hour standoff after he threatened to shoot his wife and two children inside their house at Sitio Sindulan, Barangay Tina-an, Naga City Cebu, yesterday morning.

Veroni Bacon, 48, eventually surrendered around 6 p.m. yesterday and was quickly taken into custody.

Bacon, who was allegedly under the influence of illegal drugs at the time, threatened to kill his wife Lendela Bacon and their one-year-old baby and 22-year-old daughter Devi.

It was yesterday morning when police received a report from residents of Sitio Sindulan that they heard cries for help from Bacon’s house.

When police went to the house they found Bacon threatening to kill his wife and two children with a .357 cal. revolver.

Special Weapons and Tactics teams from City of Naga and Cebu Provincial Police Office were deployed near the house to help in the negotiations. Naga City Mayor Valdemar Chiong also went to the house to assist the police in their negotiations with the suspect.

Police Officer 3 Rolando Andales said that over the course of the negotiations the suspect demanded for a lawyer and different kinds of food such as milk for his child and manok bisaya.

Superintendent Brindo Nacario, Chief of Naga City Police, initially instructed his men not to storm the house so as not to upset the suspect, but as night approached the policemen decided to enter the house and negotiate with the suspect directly.

It was only around 6 p.m. yesterday when the suspect surrendered himself, around ten hours since taking his family hostage. Andales said that the suspect turned himself in after negotiating with his parents and some policemen.

The suspect was escorted to a police car and taken to the Naga City Police Station while his family was taken to safety. His wife is confined at the South General Hospital after she suffered a cut to the head over the course of the incident.

Police Officer 2 Gilmer Noval said that the suspect will face charges for illegal detention, illegal possession of firearms, physical injury, child abuse, and violence against women and children.

The complaints are set to be filed on Monday. The suspect is currently detained at the Naga City Police Station detention cell.

The policemen recovered a homemade .357 cal. revolver, three live rounds and a knife from the house.

Drug user

Conchita Bacon, a relative of the suspect, said that before the incident the suspect and his wife had an argument over allegations Lendela had an affair with another man. Conchita also claimed that the suspect was under the influence of illegal drugs and “experiencing hallucinations”.

Based on statements from other relatives, Veroni once worked as an industrial electrician in Canada but was forced to retire because he was diagnosed with heart enlargement and lung problems.

Veroni allegedly suffered from depression after losing his job and turned to illegal drugs.

But Devi said that even before her father went to Canada he was already involved in illegal drugs and this only got worse when he return to the Philippines.

“Nigrabe lang gyud karon sa dihang niuli siya sa Cebu pag 2008,” she said.

Devi also revealed that her parents separated a few months ago after her father started beating her mother whenever he was high.

Devi said that she is happy that her mother and sisters are alive, but added she wants her father imprisoned so that he will learn from his mistakes. —/BRP (FREEMAN)