Hostage drama disrupts classes at Navotas university

MANILA, Philippines – Classes were suspended at the Navotas Polytechnic College (NPC) after a former student held hostage a school employee for almost five hours yesterday.

The hostage drama ended peacefully after the hostage-taker surrendered to authorities and released the hostage unharmed.

Navotas police chief Superintendent Florendo Quibuyen identified the hostage-taker as Esmeraldo Olarte Yarcia, 23, a former NPC student and resident of Lot 60,  Block 56, Phase 2 in Barangay 8, Caloocan City.

Yarcia took hostage Amy Perez, the school's administrative clerk.

Superintendent Antonio Militar, Navotas police deputy chief, said the crisis began at around 8:15 a.m. and ended at past 1 p.m.

Quibuyen said they rejected the request of Yarcia to talk to the media.

At the women’s desk of the Navotas police where the suspect was brought after he surrendered, Yarcia said he just wanted the teachers and administrators of the Isabela State University in Cauayan, Isabela, where he is a second-year political science student, to stop treating the students shabbily.

“I did not intend to hurt anyone, including the hostage. I told her that as long as she behaved, I would not hurt her. I did not use any bladed weapon on her. We just talked,” said Yarcia.

Yarcia told The STAR he only wanted to air his grievances through the media. When asked why he did it in Navotas and not in Isabela, he said “there is no media in Isabela.”

Quibuyen said Yarcia would be charged with serious illegal detention, grave threats and any other appropriate charges “depending on the complainant’s (Perez’s) desires.”