Thursday, July 19, 2007 Suspected burglar takes baby hostage
A MAN earlier arrested for burglary yesterday tried to take a three-week old infant hostage inside the health center of Bara-ngay Pooc, Talisay City.
Luckily, soldiers of the 78th Infantry Battalion (IB) came to the aid of the baby and successfully subdued Jerry Asok, 27, of Sitio Ilang-ilang, Bara-ngay Lagtang.
Members of the 78th IB special operations team have been detailed at the Pooc Barangay Hall as part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command’s insurgency awareness program in Talisay City.
The health center is located at the ground floor of the two-story Pooc Barangay Hall.
No one was hurt but Asok’s attempt to take the infant hostage sparked a commotion and frightened the baby’s 23-year-old mother, Lo-wella Abasalo, a resident of Sitio Tambis, Pooc.
Cpl. Rey Sumagpao led the rescue team. He said Asok had the opportunity to grab the baby because his handcuffs were taken off when he was allowed to eat his breakfast around 8 a.m.
When the baby was recovered, Asok rushed to the kitchen looking for a knife but found nothing, Sumagpao said.
This gave the 78th IB soldiers a chance to corner him and tie his hands.
With the help of tanods and Councilman Alfredo Lascuña, the chairman of the barangay’s committee on peace and order, the soldiers turned over Asok to the Talisay City Police Station before 9 a.m.
Authorities said that Asok was earlier caught in the act of barging into the house of Esmeraldo Bas in Sitio Ranger, Barangay Pooc past 3 a.m.
Police are also checking a report that Asok was a former detainee of the Talisay City Jail in Maghaway, a hilly village about five kilometers from the national highway.
He reportedly got out of detention just last April.
As of yesterday, Asok was detained at the PNP detention cell at the basement of the Talisay City Hall while charges were being prepared against him. (GC)
