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POLICE saved seven people, five of whom are children, who were held hostage by a man in Jasaan town in Misamis Oriental, yesterday morning.

The hostage-taker identified as Jomar Etong, 35, of  Purok 5, Barangay Tulogan, Cabanglasan, Bukidnon, claimed he heard voices of invisible beings who supposedly instructed him to kill the children.

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The children’s ages range from three to nine years old.

Etong held hostage and tied up the three children of his sister and brother-in-law Jonito Tagam, two other children, and two adults from 1:45 am  to 5:35 am. He was armed with a gamecock gaff.

Senior Insp. Esperegion Piado, Jasaan police chief, said Etong was angry but the reason for the hostage-taking remained unclear.

Piado said Etong came from Cabanglasan town in Bukidnon, and took hostage the victims who were sleeping in the house for unclear reasons.

Throughout the four-hour hostage crisis, Etong demanded nothing but just to talk with his wife’s cousin PO3 Lanco Macarampat, a member of the Puerto police in Cagayan de Oro.
Piado said Etong calmed down when PO3 Macarampat came to talk to him.

“Dili  namo masabtan  unsay tino-od nga gikasuk-an sa maong suspect kay nag-usab usab ang iyang estorya,” Piado later told Radyo Ultra.

He said police officers quickly pounced down on Etong as soon as the suspect calmed down and laid down his defenses.

Piado said PO3 Macarampat disarmed the suspect while other officers cuffed and brought him to the Jasaan police station where has was detained.

The victims’ father Jonito Tagam, a fisherman, said his children were traumatized, and he would press charges “to teach him a lesson.”

Etong claimed he was hearing voices. He also confessed to being a drug user. (nitz arancon)

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