MEMBERS of the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office ended a nearly four-hour hostage drama by outsmarting the suspect at Sitio Apiki, Zone 5, Barangay Bugo, this city, yesterday.
Puerto police chief Ivan Viñas identified the hostage taker as Richard Roque, 32, and the victim as his common-law wife Marissa Cruz.
Chief Insp. Viñas said Roque held Cruz hostage inside the room of their house with a knife, and a shard of a broken bottle at around 8 am.
He said it was the second time Roque has held someone hostage. In April, Viñas added, the suspect took his own child hostage.
Viñas said Roque has mental health problems and has been under medication.
“Dunay tambal nga maintenance aning suspect pero undang-undang ang iyang pag-tumar,” Viñas said.
After hours of negotiations, at around 11:45 am, Roque asked for cigarettes from a sibling in exchange for his weapons.
But as the cigarettes were being handed to him, Roque refused to give up the knife and the shard of a broken bottle.
The Swat team however took that as an opportunity to pounce on Roque as the suspect distanced himself from his hostage while trying to reach for the cigarettes.
The Swat team managed to take the hostage, and the suspect without a scratch. (Nitz Arancon)
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