AN 84-year-old female, the suspect, and two police officers were wounded during a hostage-taking incident in one of the numbered barangays in Cagayan de Oro City at 4:45 pm yesterday.
Police Maj. Sebastian Chua, Police Station 1 chief in Divisoria, identified the female hostage as Azucena Cervantes, a widow, and her hostage-taker who is her own son, as Elmo Cervantes, both residents at Burgos street, Barangay 13.
Chua also named the two police officers as Police Corporals Jasin Abesamis and Jay Ain Bondulan.
Abesamis was hit in the upper portion of his body. It is still to be determined whether a bullet or just a splinter that hit him.
Bondulan sustained a slight gunshot wound to his right arm.
Meanwhile, the older Cervantes also had cuts to her body caused by a hard object struck to her, probably by the suspect.
As of this writing, it was learned that all the wounded are already declared safe while being treated at the hospital.
Chua said they received a call from one of the members of the Cervantes that a hostage-taking was happening at their residence involving a son and his mother.
Chua added that they rushed to the crime scene including a SWAT team.
It was Police Lt. Romeo Paro who led the PS1 backup team and conducted a negotiation.
But while he was talking to the hostage-taker who was at that time possessing a .38 caliber revolver, the former shot him twice but missed but hit Abesamis and Bondulan instead.
Chua said Paro returned fire also hitting the suspect in the arm.
That was the time policemen were able to subdue the suspect and arrested him. Rescuers also brought them to the hospital.
The female victim was rushed to Polymedic hospital together with the two wounded policemen.
Chua said the suspect might have mental health issues that could be the reason he did such a crime. Investigators also looking for a grudge-angle issue between the hostage-taker and his mother.
