QC hostage taker attempts suicide at inquest

Quezon City Circle. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A man who had held members of his family hostage earlier this week jumped from the fourth floor of the Quezon City Hall of Justice Wednesday in an apparent attempt to escape prosecution, landing on a female traffic enforcer who was having a break from work.

Jerry Lo of Simoun Street in Barangay San Isidro Labrador in Quezon City, survived the plunge, his landing cushioned by the plastic roof of the building’s canteen which he went through before falling on Elvira Guerzon, an employee of Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety, police said.

Both Lo and Guerzon were confined at the East Avenue Medical Center.

While the handcuffed but still unconscious Lo sustained multiple injuries in the head and body, Guerzon complained of tenderness in the lower extremities and her colleagues told the Inquirer that she could have hurt her spine because she found it difficult to move.

According to reports from the Quezon City Police District’s Kamuning station, Lo had been taken to the Hall of Justice for an inquest on charges of frustrated parricide, frustrated murder and serious illegal detention that had been filed against him following last Monday’s hostage situation.

Around 11 a.m. Wednesday, just as policemen were escorting him to inquest prosecutor’s office, Lo broke away from his escorts, ran to the veranda overlooking the atrium and jumped.

He landed on the plastic roof of the atrium, breaking it completely, and fell directly on Guerzon, who was having an early lunch in the canteen.

Although he lay unconscious at the East Avenue Medical Center, assistant city prosecutor Ramoncito Ocampo proceeded with the inquest, saying the repondent could file a motion for reconsideration within five days.

He said the inquest had to proceed so his office could arrive at finding of probable cause based on the complaints and sworn statements submitted to the prosecutor.

Apart from the charges of frustrated parricide, frustrated murder and serious illegal detention charges filed against Lo, he is also set to be charged with reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injury and damage to public property in connection with his suicide attempt.

RELATED STORY:

Hostage-taker leaps from QC Hall of Justice