A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy was held hostage by his stepfather at 5:30 a.m. yesterday in Barangay Calamba, Cebu City.
Radz, 4, was by tanods of Barangay Calamba, after negotiating with the suspect, Rolly Berame Ymbong, 29.
San Nicolas Police Chief Chuck Barandog said they received the report at 6 a.m. When police arrived, the tanods have already rescued the boy.
Police learned in their investigation that Ymbong was reportedly drunk when the incident happened.
In an interview, Ymbong admitted he sometimes uses illegal drugs. He told journalists yesterday that before the incident, he went to Lapu-Lapu City to visit a relative and got drunk.
When he arrived in his father’s house in Sitio Minolida, located in an interior portion of Barangay Calamba, Ymbong said he learned that his live-in partner, Jane Iligan, was not in the house.
In his anger, Ymbong said he grabbed his live-in partner’s sons, who were asleep. He said he could no longer recall what happened after.
Ymbong’s father, Joy, said he saw Ymbong holding a kitchen knife about 14 inches long while grabbing the boys, ages 6 and 4.
He tried to grab the two but Ymbong got hold of the younger boy and ran outside the house.
Ymbong brought the victim into the river located few meters away from Joy’s house.
Joy then sought help from the tanods.
When the tanods arrived in the scene, they offered Ymbong a cigarette.
Ymbong then put down his knife to get the cigarette, prompting the tanods to grab Radz and rescued him.
Ymbong is currently detained at the San Nicolas Police Stockade.
Barandog said they are still awaiting complainants to be filed against Ymbong.