Man takes daughter hostage, commits suicide
A man believed to be suffering from a longtime mental illness took his ten year-old daughter hostage yesterday and when later arrested, tried to commit suicide while in detention.
With police called in by neighbors, the hostage-taking occurred early morning with the negotiations for his surrender later facilitated by Bombo Radyo reporters.
Hours into the continued appeal, the suspect identified as Salvador Davis of Zarraga, Iloilo demanded for the police to leave and instead have the Bombo Radyo team on the scene.
The entire drama was carried live until the eventual take-over of the local cops.
The daughter was eventually freed unharmed however evident was the shock and trauma suffered by the child. She was repeatedly threatened to be stabbed with a nail picked up by her father outside the family residence.
With the suspect later collared, authorities brought him to the Zarraga Police Office and detained inside the town's lock-up cell. About 9:45 a.m., a neophyte policeman went to check on the suspect following orders for a psychiatric examination.
The police officer was surprised to see the suspect all bloodied from a huge cut on the neck. Investigation revealed that the disturbed father broke a plastic plate he managed to get behind bars with the place left outside the detention center. The sharpened portion of the broken plate was apparently used in trying to cut his neck up.
Davis was rushed to the Westen Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao, Iloilo City for emergency treatment and corresponding psychiatric help.