Navotas hostage drama ends

MANILA, Philippines—A man voluntarily surrendered to police after he freed unharmed a school official he held hostage for five hours on Wednesday in Navotas City, Representative Toby Tiangco said.

Emeraldo Yarsia released his victim, Navotas Polytechnic College administration assistant Amy Perez (not  the TV host), around 1:20 p.m. when  police granted his request to see three of his friends after being denied of being covered live by  journalists, the Navotas representative said.

“Noong sinabi sa kanya na hindi talaga pwede ang media, hiniling na lang niya na makita iyong tatlong kaibigan niya na una nang in-offer sa kanya kanina pang umaga. Pagka pasok noong tatlo, pinakawalan niya agad iyong victim at naupo na lang sya,” he said.

Tiangco also said that Yarsia cleared to the Local Crisis Committee that his problem was not with the NPC. No other information, however, was given out of “respect for the suspect.”

He said that Yarsia had been planning this for a long time in different places, but only found a chance to do it today in Navotas.

He said that Yarsia was requesting for  televised media coverage so that he could relay his grievances against an unspecified institution.

He said that Perez and Yarsia were both taken to the hospital for check-up.

Yarsia held Perez as hostage on the second floor of NPC located in Barangay (village) North Bay Boulevard South, Navotas City around 8:15 a.m.

Originally posted at 11:43  | Wednesday, Feb o1, 2011