Boy, 4, hurt in Las Piñas hostage drama

A four-year-old boy was hurt after he was held hostage by a 30-year-old drug addict in Las Piñas City yesterday morning.

Inspector Ferjen Tugade Torred, chief of the Las Piñas police Station Investigation Division, said the incident happened around 9:30 a.m. while the victim who was identified as Lawrence Hesmes and his aunt Kristine Libria, 20, were inside the St. Joseph Parish Church in Barangay Daniel Fajardo.

Though they live in the city, it was reportedly the first time the boy and his aunt Libria visited the famous "Bamboo Organ" which can be found inside the St. Joseph church.

Police said while the two were busy going around the church’s premises, Danilo Pedrera suddenly grabbed the boy and threatened to stab his hostage with a nine-inch kitchen knife.

Torred said Pedrera, jobless and resident of Phase 5, Barangay Manuyo Dos, was reportedly under the influence of drugs when he took the victim from Libria.

Though Libria asked for help from the few people who were inside the church, it was the parish priest, Fr. Greg Reyes, who immediately responded and tried to negotiate with the drug-crazed suspect who pointed the knife at the child’s neck.

Several policemen including operatives of the police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit, and barangay watchmen led by Roberto Boaquiña arrived.

Torred said the negotiations were going nowhere and the authorities decided to deploy a policeman disguised as a priest to help persuade Pedrera to release the victim.

Police Officer 3 Joel Cambi who was dressed as a priest, pretended to negotiate with the suspect and when the undercover policeman got near the suspect he grabbed the knife and pulled the hostage away.

Torred said it took the police half an hour before they were finally able to rescue the boy and arrest the suspect.

The boy, however, sustained a minor cut in his left shoulder after the knife used by Pedrera slightly wounded him when the suspect kept on playing with the knife near his neck to ward off authorities from getting near.

Attempted homicide charges will be filed against the suspect who is now detained at the Las Piñas police station.