Man who held nephews hostage gunned down

CEBU, Philippines - Police yesterday pulled the trigger on a man who held his two nephews hostage in barangay Kayam in the northern town of San Remigio.

Egie Gallarde, 27, was declared dead shortly after he was rushed to the Severo Verallo Hospital in the said town.

Gallarde’s sisters, Cheryll, 25, and one other who is 17 years old, sought police assistance when Gallarde allegedly held Cheryll’s children, ages one and five, hostage at their house.

Personnel of the San Remigio police composed of Chief Insp. Rolly Lauron, SPO1 Nicholas Navales, PO2 Felipe Mandal and PO1 Rhexter Armenion immediately proceeded to barangay Karam.

Upon arriving at the house, police designated the 17-year-old girl to talk to Gallarde while Cheryll would retrieve her two children. Gallarde was reportedly armed with a .38 revolver and a 24-inch kitchen knife.

The negotiation succeeded and the two children were taken out of the house, but when the suspect realized he no longer had anyone hostage, he took the 17-year-old girl as the new hostage.

The girl, however, managed to run and when Gallarde ran after her, the policemen stationed outside the house opened fire and hit the suspect on different parts of his body.

Police later recovered a mobile phone from Gallarde, which the suspect allegedly used to send threatening messages to his siblings reportedly for them not to squeal that he had impregnated his 17-year-old sister.

Lauron said tension reportedly started becoming evident within the Gallarde family after what the suspect did to the 17-year-old girl.                         Gallarde’s remains lie at the Northener Funeral Homes. – Gabriel C. Bonjoc/JMO (FREEMAN NEWS)