Drug user holds boy, 5, hostage

SAN QUINTIN, Pangasinan — Policemen successfully rescued Friday morning a 5-year-old boy who was held hostage by a suspected drug addict two hours in Barangay Alak, this town.

Police report said that prior to the incident, Francis Ramirez, tagged by police as drug dependent, was asked by his relatives to undergo rehabilitation. But when Ramirez noticed the uniformed policemen who were about to fetch him, he suddenly grabbed Reynaldo Colaway, 5, his neighbor, then threatened to kill him.

Armed with a sharp kitchen knife, the suspect refused to heed police calls to release the victim.

Unable to pacify him, the policemen and the suspect’s relatives called Chief Inspector Ricardo Revita, group commander of the 107th PNP company based in Tayug town. But when Revita appeared in uniform and in full battle gear, the suspect further went wild and threatened again to butcher the victim.

Revita said that he used diplomacy and psychology in convincing the suspect to board an ambulance. However, the suspect brought the victim with him to the ambulance, further complicating the incident.

"When the suspect was inside the ambulance I could have easily given him a surgical shot and even kill him, but I did not. I wanted to resolve the crisis with no one getting harmed or killed," said Revita.

He added that when the suspect noticed that he (Revita) did not allow the ambulance to start, the suspect ran out and went back again inside their house.

At this juncture, Revita said, the suspect did not want any uniformed policemen to get near him and the hostage.

"I asked his civilian friend to get near him but there was already an instruction for him on what to do once he got close to the suspect," Revita revealed.

Aside from this, Revita said, a number of policemen were posted around to ensure the safety of the victim and the people there.

Revita said that as soon as the civilian held the suspect by the hand, policemen quickly moved, subdued the armed hostage taker and rescued the victim unharmed.

Revita said that the suspect had been detained at the 107th PNP headquarters and appropriate case had been filed against him. — With Cesar Ramirez