THE BROTHER of the hostage taker who was shot dead by the police last week surfaced Saturday afternoon at the Manila Police District headquarters to apologize on behalf of his family—but said authorities should have worked for a “win-win solution’’ to spare his sibling’s life.
Oliver Pineda said his brother, Ivan John, apparently just wanted to draw attention after having a bitter argument with their mother days before Thursday’s incident.
“As I woke up today, I was thinking of how to clear my brother’s name,’’ Pineda told the Inquirer.
He said his 38-year-old brother, who lived in Ilaya, Tondo, was a father of three, the eldest of whom is currently in college.
“I remember him sending [me] messages asking for help to raise capital for a business. He never engaged in any criminal activity before,” said Pineda, who learned about Ivan John’s death in TV news and on Facebook.
“My brother just wanted to talk to my mother because they had an argument days before the incident. He thought of getting attention by doing that (taking a hostage).’’
Talking to the case investigator, PO3 Michael Maraggun of the MPD, Pineda stressed that his brother was not into robbery-holdup or drugs.
Pineda apologized to the people who were hurt or terrorized when his brother took a woman hostage using a pointed object on board a bus on Taft Avenue on the afternoon of Oct. 8. He specially mentioned the hostage, a third-year graphic arts student at the Technological University of the Philippines.
After a 30-minute negotiation failed to pacify him, the hostage taker was shot by Insp. Dionel Brannon of the MPD Lawton precinct. Officials said the decision to shoot was made because the hostage taker kept pressing his weapon on the woman’s neck.
Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Vice Mayor Isko Moreno commended the policemen for the successful rescue operation.
While admitting that his brother was at fault and that he used an “inappropriate” way to air his grievances, Pineda said the police should have shown more patience and restraint.
“Even the people in our province (Bataan) said my brother should not have been killed. He was already stepping down from the bus but policemen were still firing shots at him.”
“I am not here to complain against the police. I just wish the police arrived at a win-win solution. They were protecting the life of a [hostaged] person but they should have also preserved my brother’s life.”
“They could have just shot him [with the intention only] to disarm him so he could still live, pay for his wrongdoing and have a chance to change,” he added.
“Now, all we want for my brother is a decent burial.”
The MPD Station 5 on Saturday pledged to extend burial assistance to Pineda and his brother’s family.