ILOILO – A 34-year-old drug surrenderee armed with a submachine gun held his 68-year-old mother and seven-year-old child hostage for more than three hours in Barangay Gemat-y, Passi City, exposing the continuing threat posed by intoxicated and reoffending former drug dependents.
The standoff, which began around 8 a.m. on November 5, ended safely before noon following a swift and coordinated response by the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) and the Passi City Police Station.
Police identified the suspect only as “Lester,” who was reportedly drunk when he brandished a firearm inside his home and refused to let his mother — who suffers from a heart ailment — and his young child leave.
Police Colonel Bayani Razalan, IPPO director, and Police Lieutenant Colonel German Magbanua III, Passi City police chief, personally led the rescue operation with support from the Philippine National Police – Special Action Force under Police Captain Reymart Acabo.
Through quick and precise action, both hostages were rescued unharmed at around 11:30 a.m.
Eyewitnesses said the situation left the neighborhood tense, with residents breathing a sigh of relief after the hostages’ safe recovery.
“This successful operation is a true example of the professionalism and discipline expected of a police officer,” Razalan said.
The suspect attempted to flee but was later apprehended. Police recovered from his residence a KG9 submachine gun, several magazines, and live ammunition for 9mm and .45 caliber firearms, all seized in the presence of Barangay Captain Leo Peñaflorida.
While Peñaflorida initially expressed confusion about the exact location of the incident, he later confirmed it occurred within his jurisdiction.
Police Lieutenant Charina Pagmanoja, Deputy Operations Officer of the Passi City Police Station, said the suspect’s intoxication made negotiations “more complicated” and heightened the risk to the victims.
Authorities continue to investigate the source of the recovered weapons and the circumstances that led to the incident, which has stirred concern among residents about the lingering risks posed by armed, intoxicated individuals with prior drug involvement./PN
