Monday, April 14, 2008 ‘Deranged’ man with knife holds ma, 2 kids hostage for 7 hours
A MOTHER and her two children were held hostage for seven hours by a man who believed there were two men out to kill him.
Natividad Buro, 55, suffered a cut in her left arm while her children Joseph, 17, and Jecelle, 8, were unharmed.
The three were sleeping inside their house in Barangay Rizal, Pinamu-ngajan town when Danilo Rotor Maguilimotan, 37, suddenly barged in at 1:30 a.m. Saturday and held them hostage.
Natividad was alone to take care of her children as her husband was working.
When Maguilimotan entered the house, he allegedly snatched Jecelle and pointed the knife he was holding at the girl’s neck.
Trembling, Maguilo-motan kept telling them that there were two men out to kill him. He threatened to kill them if they made any noise.
Natividad tried to pry her daughter free, but she was wounded in the left arm.
They had no choice but to continuously plead with the intruder not to harm them.
At 8 a.m., Maguilimotan decided to go home to the neighboring Barangay Pandacan.
The Buro Family was relieved, until he decided to take Jecelle with him.
As he brought Jecelle with a knife still pointed at her neck, Natividad and Joseph managed to run to their neighbors to ask for help.
A team led by SPO2 Allan Tundag proceeded to Maguilimotan’s house in Pandacan and negotiated with him.
They managed to let him release Jecelle unhurt.
After making sure Jecelle was safe, they placed the man under arrest and brought him to the police station.
Maguilimotan’s sister Lelia believes her brother slighted an evil spirit because he cut big trees to earn a living.
She said that a few months back, some tree cutters failed to cut down a big tree and that it was her brother who managed to do it.
“Amo na man siyang gipatambalan, unya niingon man sad to ang nitambal nga gipadautan kuno. Pero moinom man sab na siya’g wala’y kaon gud (We brought him to a faith healer, who told us about the evil spirit. But my brother also drinks liquor even if he’s eaten nothing),” Lelia said.
Whether evil or alcoholic spirits are involved, the police are preparing a charge of grave threats in relation to violation of the child abuse law against him.
PO1 Jocelyn Canonigo, who takes charge of the Women and Children’s Concerns Desk of the Pinamungajan Police Station, said she will meet with the Buro Family today and they will decide if they want to press charges.
Maguilimotan has now reportedly calmed down.
“Buotan naman kaayo ni diri. Kadto ra gyud kuno nga dunay magsige’g sunod-sunod niya kay patyon siya (He’s very mild-mannered. But he insists there were those who tailed him and tried to kill him),” said PO2 Romeo Jaranilla, one of those who responded. (MEA)
