Pa charged for taking daughter hostage

Police yesterday filed a complaint against the security guard who held his daughter hostage inside their house in barangay Poblacion, Borbon town, northern Cebu.

Pedro Longakit, 39, is facing charges of illegal possession of firearms following the hostage drama that lasted for 17 hours last Wednesday.

His family decided not to pursue charges of illegal detention against him.

With this, Longakit has to face a lighter offense for violating Republic Act 8294 or the law against unlawful possession of firearms. Bail was recommended at P60,000.

But Senior Supt. Patrocincio Comendador Jr., chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), said police are preparing more charges against Longakit.

Comendador said Longakit could be charged for violation of child abuse and anti-violence against women.

The 15-year-old daughter was turned over to social workers to undergo debriefing.

Longakit was presented before Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Manuel Degolacion for an inquest proceeding yesterday afternoon.

The respondent decided not to undergo preliminary investigation, which would have given him a chance to refute the allegations.

This being so, charges against Longakit have to be elevated to the Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Borbon-Tabogon, north Cebu.

In an interview, Longakit said he didn’t have plans to hold his daughter hostage.

He said he was drunk when the incident happened.

Longakit said he was disheartened that his wife, Jennifer, 37, left him for a year already.

He said he took her child as a hostage to witness his plan to commit suicide.

Longakit said he is happy that his wife has returned to her after the incident.

He was armed with a .38 revolver when he brought his daughter inside the room of the house owned by Jennifer’s mother.

Longakit admitted that the gun was not licensed./WITH CORRESPONDENT GABRIEL C. BONJOC