A security guard held his daughter hostage in a desperate move to win back her estranged wife.
The hostage drama in barangay Poblacion, Borbon town, northern Cebu, ended after 17 hours when the wife decided to reconcile with her husband.
Pedro Longakit, 39, was arrested after the incident.
His family decided not to file a case but police will file charges for illegal possession of firearm against Longakit.
The security guard was detained at the Borbon police precinct.
Police said Longakit took his 15-year-old daughter Mishel hostage at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
He was disheartened that his wife, Jennifer, 37, left him for a year already. The wife left the man for being a drunkard.
Jennifer said their daughter was unharmed. She said her husband took her as a hostage to witness his plan to commit suicide.
Chief Insp. Emiliano Ygot, chief of the Borbon police, said Pedro was armed with a .38 revolver when he brought his daughter inside the room of the house owned by Jennifer’s mother.
Pedro tied the hand of Mishel to his hand to ensure that Mishel could not get out of the room .
Jennifer, who is working in Martirez Street, Cebu City, arrived with police at 6 p.m.
Police advised Jennifer not to enter the house because it was dark and her husband might harm her.
Around 7 a.m. yesterday, Pedro was contacted over the phone by radio station dyLA.
He said he did not harm his daughter but he was unsure if he would surrender to the police.
Asked why he did it, Pedro said he’s been miserable after he and his wife separated.
Around 8 a.m., Jennifer decided to reconcile with her husband, ending the hostage drama.
The couple were seen hugging each other after they reconciled, said Ygot.
The Longakit couple has been married for 18 years. Mishel is the second of five siblings.
Jennifer said they usually broke up because of Pedro’s behavior and his being a drunkard. But Pedro convinced her to reconcile with him every time they broke up in the past.
Jennifer said their last breakup happened a year ago and this was the longest breakup so far.
Jennifer decided to work in Cebu City and left her five children to her mother in Borbon.
Last weekend, Jennifer said, her husband, who was renting a house in barangay Jagobiao, Mandaue City since he worked there as security guard, visited her in Martirez and asked for a reconciliation.
Jennifer said Pedro appealed that she stay with him in his rented house but she refused.
Jennifer said Pedro asked their two children to go with him in a mall because he wanted to buy cell phones for them.
The two daughters refused to go with him and this may have triggered the father to seize their daughter, said Jennifer.
“Peace na mi karon, misaad siya nga di na maghuboghubog,” Jennifer said. WITH CORRESPONDENT RHEA RUTH V. ROSELL