TWO people were wounded in a hostage-taking in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, the police said Tuesday, October 02.
Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, said the incident happened around 4:15 p.m. Monday near the bus terminal in Poblacion village, Guipos town.
Galvez identified those wounded as Michael Macasling Laurete, 22, the hostage-taker, and Ernesto Apaman Villagonzalo, 58, the hostage.
She said that prior to the incident, a concerned resident reported to Police Officer (PO) 2 Julie Pangambayan Tagayan, 44, about the presence of an armed man, who turned out to be Laurete.
She said that Laurete grabbed Villagonzalo and used him as human shield when Tagayan, who was assigned near the bus terminal, called the suspect’s attention.
Laurete shot Tagayan twice but his gun jammed. The cop returned fire hitting the suspect in the hand, which also slightly injured Villagonzalo, Galvez added.
The information officer said the suspect then pushed Villagonzalo and fled but Tagayan, together with another policeman, PO2 Reynaldo Ambayec, cornered Lauret in a rice field.
She said the two policemen recovered from Laurete’s possession a sling bag, a holster, and a caliber .38 revolver with two live ammunition. (SunStar Philippines)