Born again pastor nabbed for taking family of 8 hostage in Pasay

MANILA, Philippines—A 60-year-old pastor held the police at bay for nearly seven hours after he took hostage eight persons, including five children, in Pasay City on Wednesday.

The police said that when they were negotiating with Christopher Magsusay Sr., a born again Christian pastor, he only demanded that they pray for him.

Chief Insp. Eric Angustia, Pasay City police investigation unit chief, said that Magsusay would be charged with illegal detention, attempted homicide, alarm and scandal, and for violating the law protecting children or Republic Act No. 7610.

A police report said that Magsusay barged into the house of his neighbor, Junel Balindo, on Magtibay Street in Barangay 132, Zone 13 around 6 a.m. yesterday after he engaged the police in a fire fight.

This was after the police went to the area to check reports that he repeatedly fired his gun into the air around 3:30 a.m. “Nobody knows why he fired. But the neighbors said he was uneasy like he was drunk,” Angustia said.

Magsusay—who Angustia said was grazed by a bullet in the forehead when he traded shots with policemen—then held captive Balindo and her family composed of husband Rolando, 40, a painter; brother Jose Veloso III, 19; children Joyce, 7; Jolan, 3; and Jun Jalotjot, 7.

Also held captive were Princess Bolaños, 3; and her sibling Jaylo, 1; who had been left in the Balindos’ care by their parents.

The police report said at one point during the hostage-taking, Magsusay turned on an oven and a liquefied petroleum gas tank inside the house.

Four hours later, all the hostages except for Rolando, ran out of the house after Magsusay weakened considerably due to his wound. All of them were unhurt.

At 12:45 p.m., the suspect released Rolando and gave himself up, surrendering a .45-caliber pistol.