Man who held a doctor hostage in East Avenue says he wanted to die

A 51-year-old man who held a doctor hostage at the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) on Wednesday morning said he hoped that police would kill him during the incident because he could no longer handle the stress caused by his personal problems.

According to Nico Waje’s report on “Stand for Truth,” the hostage-taker asked police to shoot him as soon as they approached.

“Pagdating ko po kasi, ang unang sinabi niya agad sa’kin pagkabati ko sa kaniya na pulis ako, sabi niya, ‘Barilin mo na ako.’ ‘Yun lang po ang nabanggit niya,” Police Staff Sergeant Bienvenido Ribaya III said.

The hostage-taker, a security guard, narrated that he was rushed to the hospital at 1 a.m. Wednesday after a motorcycle accident.

He had snuck out of his house to get himself checked because of difficulty in breathing.

His worries over his condition were compounded by the fact his COVID-19 test results had not yet been released since he was swabbed last Saturday.

The hostage-taker said he grew more anxious after seeing how many COVID-19 patients there were at the EAMC, adding that he was kept waiting without medical attention until 5 a.m.

“Sobrang stressed na [ako] sa nangyayari sa buhay ko na hindi ko na maintindihan kung anong gagawin ko. Wala na ‘kong tulog. Hindi na ‘ko makatulog. Hindi na ako makahinga,” he said.

“Nagawa ko lang naman mang-hostage hindi upang manakit ng tao kundi upang patayin na ‘ko ng pulis para matapos na ang buhay ko. Gusto ko nang matapos buhay ‘ko. Pagod na pagod na ‘ko,” the hostage-taker added.

EAMC maintained that it gave due medical attention to the security guard.

“In fact, na-CT scan na siya tapos nabigyan ng mga initial medication. It’s just that marami talagang nandoon sa emergency room,” EAMC chief Dr. Alfonso Nuñez III said.

EAMC added that the doctor who was taken hostage and other medical personnel who witnessed the incident are now undergoing psychological support therapy.

The hostage-taker expressed deep remorse and apologized to the victim.

“Alam niyo po, wala po akong balak saktan kayo,” he told the doctor. “Sobra po talaga akong nahihirapan sa buhay ko, sa nararamdaman ko.”

“Magpapabaril na lang po talaga ako sa mga guwardiya, mga pulis, para matapos na ‘yung buhay ko. Sabi niyo po ‘wag e. ‘Huwag niyong tapusin ang buhay niyo, kawawa ang mga anak mo.’ Patawarin niyo po ako sa nangyari,” he added.

The hostage-taker is now under the custody of police and will face charges for grave coercion, alarm and scandal, and grave threat. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News