Police file charges vs. hostage-taker

CEBU, Philippines - Police filed charges yesterday before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office against the laborer who held an eight-year-old girl hostage in Barangay Apas last Wednesday.

Chief Insp. Sara Jean Recla, chief of Mabolo Police Station, said they decided not to wait for a psychiatric test to be conducted on suspect Paul “Junjun” Guigue and has filed charges for serious illegal detention against him yesterday afternoon.

Recla said Guigue, 25, was supposed to undergo a psychiatric test yesterday but doctors of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center said they will talk with Guigue’s parents first to know his history.

Guigue’s parents arrived yesterday afternoon from Panglao, Bohol, his native place.

 “But dili na ‘ta kahuwat sa result sa test kay mulapas na ta sa reglementary period, (But we cannot wait for the test results because the reglemantary period will lapse.)” Recla said.

No bail bond was recommended for Guigue’s temporary release. He is detained at the Mabolo Police Station cell yesterday and will most possibly undergo the test today.Recla said should the psychiatric result reveal that Guigue is mentally ill, the result will serve as the defense of the suspect and his side.

Last Wednesday, the girl, a grade 2 pupil, was playing outside her house when the suspect suddenly grabbed her and held her hostage using a scissor and an improvised ice pick as weapons.

Several policemen arrived and surrounded the suspect.

Cebu City Police Office director Melvin Ramon Buenafe later arrived and negotiated with the suspect. After about 20 minutes, the suspect was subdued and the girl was safely rescued.

Guigue said he held the girl hostage as he heard rumors that someone is trying to kill him and his family. He said he had no intention, though, to kill the girl who was just his neighbor. The girl’s parents were at work when the hostage-taking took place.

Jaybee Binghay, spokesperson of the Department of Social Welfare and Development 7, said social worker Clavel Saicon has been sent to conduct stress debriefing on the girl and her parents.

“It’s not easy to be a victim of such incident,” she said.

Binghay said abuses on children are getting closer to home so parents have bigger responsibilities in guarding their children.

“Usahay ma-busy ta sa atong panginabuhian, ang atong mga anak ato nang mataligam-an. (Sometimes we get so busy earning a living that we fail to keep track of our children.)So let us practice responsible parenthood,” the DSWD spokesperson said.     - THE FREEMAN