De Lima shares harrowing PNP hostage experience, expresses gratitude
UNDER HEAVY GUARD Swarmed by police escorts, former Sen. Leila de Lima appears at a Muntinlupa City court on Monday, a day after she survived a hostage-taking incident at the PNP Custodial Center where she is detained.INQUIRER file photo / RICHARD A. REYES
MANILA, Philippines — Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima recalled her harrowing experience while in detention at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center — where she became a victim in a case of hostage-taking — saying she will forever be thankful for the prayers and support she received.
In a statement on Thursday, De Lima said the hostage-taking incident occurred three years ago — a near-death experience she thought she would not survive.
“Three years ago today, I faced a near-death hostage-taking — a harrowing experience I didn’t think I would survive, as the hostage-taker was already determined to kill me and then to kill himself after. Sa puntong ‘yon, ipinagpasa-Diyos ko na ang lahat,” de Lima said.
“I thank God for saving my life. Laking pasasalamat ko rin sa PNP security force na sumagip sa aking buhay,” she added.
According to de Lima, this incident makes her even more committed to public service and making the most out of this opportunity.
“As I value life even more now, I have become even more deeply committed to using this blessing from the Lord as an opportunity to make the most of it — for my loved ones, for the Filipino people and for humanity,” she said.
“Habambuhay rin po akong magpapasalamat sa inyong suporta, malasakit at pagdarasal: mula nang magsimula akong maglingkod sa pamahalaan, sa pinakamabigat na pagsubok ng aking buhay, hanggang ngayon na muli po ninyo akong binigyan ng pagkakataong makapagsilbi sa bayan. Tuloy ang laban. Hindi ko po kailanman sasayangin ang inyong tiwala,” she added.
De Lima, who was detained at the PNP Custodial Center until November 2023, was taken hostage in October 202 by detainee Feliciano Sulayao Jr., who along with his three other fellow inmates tried to escape the facility.
Sulayao and inmates Arnel Cabintoy and Idang Susukan ganged up and stabbed an officer. Another officer saw the incident and shot Cabintoy and Susukan.
After this, reports said Sulayao ran towards de Lima’s cell, holding her hostage. As negotiations between the officers and the hostage-taker appear to fail, police were then forced to neutralize the suspect, saving de Lima.
READ: De Lima survives hostage-taking attempt; hostage-taker gunned down
The former senator, a staunch critic of the past administration, said that she felt that she was going to die because Sulayao told her that since his companions were dead, he might as well die in the custodial center and take de Lima with him.
READ: Hostage-taker ‘determined to die and to take me with him’ – De Lima
De Lima did not suffer any wounds except from the chest pains and a knife mark as the hostage-taker apparently pressed the knife against her chest. /jpv
