Worker hostages self; demands free medicines, electricity
A worker of the Iloilo Coal-Fired Power Plant took himself hostage Tuesday evening at the plant’s construction site at Brgy. Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City.
It took some three hours before Arnold Hermano, 24, also of Brgy. Ingore, to be neutralized after threatening negotiators that he would kill himself.
At around 10:30 in evening, police received reports that the suspect attacked the power plant’s security guard, Jose Rio Doma of Mabuhay Security Agency, and seized the latter’s service firearm – a caliber .9mm pistol.
The injured guard was rushed West Visayas State University Medical Center for a forehead wound.
Meanwhile, sitting on the ground and pointing the gun below his chin, Hermano initially refused to talk to police negotiators.
He did not even heed his father, Alfredo, who immediately came to quell the suspect.
Hermano then called for media personnel to hear his demands.
It was at that juncture that policemen and the power plant’s security personnel allowed members of the media to come near the scene.
In front of the media personnel, his parents, policemen and Brgy. Capt. Ernie Poral, Hermano enumerated his demands.
He also wanted Poral to write them and have officers of the Panay Power Corporation, co-owner of the Iloilo Coal-Fired Power Plant, to sign the paper in concurrence.
His demands include free medicines for residents of Brgy. Ingore, job for at least one person in a family in their village, and free electricity.
Hemano lamented that the PPC, instead of getting workers from the village where their plant is, got workers from elsewhere.
After three hours of continuous negotiation, the suspect relaxed a bit and took off the gun from poking on his chin.
The plant’s other security guard, Joven Alim, saw the opportunity, as he immediately stormed from behind and wrestled the suspect and grapple for the possession of the firearm.
He was assisted by two policemen who were also standing behind the suspect’s back.
No regrets
At the police station, Hermano claimed that he did not regret what happened.
“Wala gid ko ya karapatan nga kuhaon ang kabuhi sang isigkatawo pero ang kabuhi ko ‘ya, ibuwis ko gid ya. Wala gid ko naghinulsol. Naghinulsol lang ko kay wala gid sila (PPC) hinambalan,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, his father claimed to have not anticipated that Hermano would do such a thing.
“Mabuot na siya nga bata. Ginasaligan na siya namon,” he claimed.
While claiming that Hermano’s way of expressing his demands was not proper, Poral stated that the suspect’s demands were legitimate
Charges
La Paz Police Station chief Chief Insp. Giovanni Musico said that they would file charges against the suspect for frustrated murder, illegal possession of firearm, and robbery.
The charges will be added once the PPC will file their own separate case.
