Police reported that a security guard held doctor a hostage inside the emergency room of the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) in Quezon City early Wednesday morning.
Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) of Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said in the report that the security personnel sought treatment at the EAMC emergency room after he sustained injuries from a motorcycle accident.
The doctor was attending to some patients when the suspect allegedly grabbed a syringe and held her hostage at 5 a.m. The nearby medical staff immediately called the police for help.
Police said the security guard did not “make any demand or complaint” during the hostage incident. The suspect released the doctor and put down the syringe after several minutes of negotiation with Police Staff Sergeant Bienvenido Ribaya III.
“‘Yung paglapit ko sinabi ko ‘di kami kalaban, nandoon kami para tulungan po siya. Nagtuloy-tuloy lang po ‘yung pag-uusap namin hanggang sa napakalma po siya,” Ribaya said.
(When I went closer to him, I told him we are not his enemy. I was there to help him. We continued to talk until he calmed down.)
QCPD CIDU law enforcers then arrested the suspect and brought him to the CIDU unit at Camp Karingal, Quezon City.
The police officer said the doctor was not hurt in the incident.
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QCPD CIDU chief Police Major Elmer Monsalve said in an interview with Teleradyo that the suspect would face grave coercion, grave threat, and alarm and scandal charges.
Monsalve added medical personnel at the emergency room also treated the suspect’s wounds before he was turned over to the QCPD CIDU.
“‘Yung suspect, yung injury niya may plaster sa mukha, may gauze. Bago dinala dito, makikita na ginamot pa siya habang tinurnover sa amin,” he said.
(The suspect’s face had plaster and gauze. Before they brought him here, he was treated for his injuries.)
In a separate interview with Teleradyo, Dr. Willie Solidares, head of the EAMC’s emergency room, said the doctor was not hurt during the hostage-taking incident.
“Ang aming doctor ay nasa maayos na kalagayan medyo nagulat lang talaga siya kanina. Wala na naman pong sugat si doktora. Wala namang physical injuries sa kanya,” he said.
(Our doctor is alright. She was just a little surprised earlier. She did not have any wounds. She has no physical injuries.)