AN AMERICAN national, who is facing charges in the US, tried to commit suicide Thursday to avoid arrest by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents in Tugbok District, Davao City.
SPO3 Emerson Fernando of Tugbok Police Station identified the suspect as Robert William Longwood, 57, resident of Blk 77, Lot 7, Deca Homes Subdivision, Barangay Tacunan, Tugbok District, Davao City. He is facing fraud charges in Montana, USA.
Reports showed Longwood tried to kill himself with a sharp knife inside his house to avoid arrest by the authorities led by FBI special agent Shaun Gavin of the US of America Embassy in the Philippines.
Authorities, armed with arrest warrant, arrived at Longwood's house at around 5:40 p.m.
Longwood did not come out of his house so the police tried negotiating with him.
After a few hours, they saw Longwood holding a piece of wood with a knife on its end, holding the knife towards his neck.
The situation forced the authorities to break inside the house to save Longwood.
Longwood, wounded on his nape, was brought to Holy Spirit Hospital and later transferred to Davao Doctors Hospital.
The foreigner is living with his live-in partner, Jiecel, 20, for one and a half years now.
Meanwhile, a 55-year-old man drowned in Aroma Beach Baywave, Barangay Ilang on Wednesday. Eduardo Maloya, a resident of Purok-C, Barangay Ilang, drowned at around 10:30 a.m.
He was seen diving in a knee-level area of the beach but did not emerge. Authorities are looking at heart-attack as the probable cause of drowning.
Maloya was brought to the Southern Philippines Medical Center where he was declared dead on arrival. (Alger Dura)