The hostage-taking took place at the Baliwag Public Market in Barangay Poblacion, Baliwag, Bulacan, past 1 a.m. on Wednesday. A 16-year-old cellphone vendor was pointed at a knife by a man while guarding the store.
According to the witness, the suspect was holding the child, but he tried to calm the man down and defuse the situation. Before the incident, the 46-year-old suspect stabbed a 25-year-old vendor and a 48-year-old security guard who were helping. The female vendor was stabbed in the head and the security guard was stabbed in the stomach, but the injuries were not life-threatening.
According to police, the suspect used a 14-inch kitchen knife. Other vendors chased him, forcing him to take the 16-year-old hostage. Negotiations were held with the police, and the situation was calmed down.
The suspect explained that he committed the crime because he was in a hurry. He said, “I’m sorry, I was just in a hurry and I had nowhere to run. I was just protecting myself, because I was getting depressed and it felt like someone was after me.”
The suspect is currently in the custody of the Baliwag City Police Station and is facing charges of two counts of attempted homicide and serious illegal detention.
