MANILA, Philippines — After being taken hostage right inside Camp Crame, former Senator Leila de Lima assured the public that she is now safe and sound as she also urged the public to pray for the recovery of the police officer who was injured in the incident.
READ: De Lima survives hostage-taking attempt; hostage-taker gunned down
De Lima said this in a statement after she thanked all those who expressed concern for her well-being when she was held hostage by a fellow detainee at the PNP Custodial Facility in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
“I am now safe and sound except for the lingering pain on my chest where the hostage-taker constantly pressed the point of his knife while holding me hostage,” said De Lima.
“Please also pray for the injured police officer who, like me, was the other but more unfortunate victim of this incident. While I have survived with only a knife mark and some considerable distress, he is still fighting for his life. Let us all pray for his quick recovery,” she added.
According to De Lima, she didn’t expect to go through such an ordeal as she has already “endured more than five years of unjust detention inside the PNP Custodial Center.”
She said that while she was held at knife-point, the hostage-taker, later identified by the PNP as Feliciano Sulayao Jr., told her that since two of his companies have already died, he might as well just bring her with him
“I consider what happened to me as a near-death experience. If not for the timely intervention of the PNP security force, I don’t think I would have come out alive since the hostage-taker was already determined to die and take me with him,” said De Lima.
The former senator then said that while she is still trying to recover both psychologically and emotionally from what happened, the incident made her only value life even more.
Before taking De Lima hostage, the PNP said that Sulayao, along with his two companions Arnel Cabintoy and Idang Susukan, were trying to flee the facility where they ended up stabbing one of the police officers in the facility.
Another officer was then able to gun down Cabintoy and Susukan, while Sulayao was able to reach De Lima and hold her hostage.
Members of the Special Action Force (SAF), however, were able to neutralize Sulayao soon after.
All three suspects are now dead, according to PNP.
De Lima to attend hearings on drug charges against her on Monday
Meanwhile, despite just going through what she described as a “near-death” experience, De Lima said that she will still attend the resumption of the hearing on drug charges filed against her on Monday.
This was stated in an advisory on her Twitter page where she said that she will attend the hearing at Branch 256 of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) scheduled at 1:30 p.m. on Monday.
“Earlier today, De Lima was hostaged by detainees who attempted to escape from the PNP Custodial Center, Camp Crame,” it read.
“She was fortunately unharmed, but the alarming and shocking incident amplifies anew the call to free her from unjust detention,” it added.
De Lima has been detained since February 24, 2017, less than after President Rodrigo Duterte became the president of the Philippines, for drug charges which her camp said were “trumped up.”
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