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Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Cops save 2 girls in hostage drama
By Oscar C. Pined
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
PROPER police management and a barangay captain’s “glib tongue” ended a hostage drama in Lapu-Lapu City yesterday dawn without anybody getting hurt.
Dennis Sullano, 29, of Sitio Imbao, Barangay Calawisan, took hostage his two daughters at 2 a.m. after he learned that his 23-year-old common-law wife is reportedly going out with another man in Manila.
During the negotiations, authorities had a hard time securing the girls who preferred to be with their father than go with them.
The situation was subsequently resolved and the suspect detained. The police is studying possible charges to file against Sullano.
The two girls are Bernadine Rosalejos, seven, and Michaela Rosalejos, two. They assumed their mother Bernadette’s surname as their parents are not married.
Supt. Louie Oppus, who managed the negotiations, said the main goal is the “preservation of life and property.”
Family problem
Since his presence might antagonize Sullano, and endanger the children’s safety, Oppus decided not to negotiate directly with the suspect.
Oppus got help from Calawisan Barangay Captain Eduardo Bensi since the problem stemmed from a family misunderstanding and the community official is neutral.
Oppus gave Bensi an on-the-spot course on hostage negotiations.
Negotiators, according to Oppus, should not give a “yes” or “no” answer to a hostage-taker’s critical questions.
If the hostage-taker asks for something, he must also give something in return.
When Bensi entered the hut to negotiate, he saw Sullano holding Bernadine with his left hand while pointing an eight-inch knife on her with the right hand.
Michaela was behind her father, embracing him.
Bensi learned that suspect was always away from his family. The other day when he came home, he found out that Bernadette was already in Manila and undergoing training for work in Japan.
Binge
He resented the plan and the fact that he was the last to know.
He was greatly affected after he called her up the other day and learned that she was out with somebody.
Angry, Sullano started a drinking binge from early Monday night until 2 a.m. yesterday. It was then that he took his children hostage.
Bensi convinced the suspect to release Bernadine. When he finally convinced Sullano to hand over the knife, the suspect ordered Michaela to hand over the knife to Bensi, who was just an arm’s length away.
But since the two-year-old girl couldn’t hold the knife, she went back to his father and embraced him again. At this point, the knife fell to the floor and Bensi quickly jumped for it.
Oppus, who was just outside the door, and his men, who were just outside the window, closed in for the arrest.
The suspect is now detained at the police holding cell, the knife in the custody of investigators.
(January 14, 2004 issue)
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