By Jennifer P. Rendon
A man believed to be hooked on illegal drugs has taken his one-year-old son and two women hostage in Roxas City, Capiz early morning of Dec 9, 2020.
Randy Ric Alipongan, 36, of Mejorada Subdivision, Barangay Inzo Arnaldo Roxas City, was seen carrying his son when he began acting strange.
Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Jomuad Jr., Roxas City police chief, said witnesses described Alipongan to be in a state of paranoia.
“It’s as if he was hallucinating. He claimed that the people around was running after him,” Jomuad said.
It was at this stage when Alipongan saw their 86-year-old neighbor Enriqueta Batuigas. He allegedly put down his son and took Batuigas hostage with the use of a bread knife.
Alipongan was claiming that a man armed with a gun was after him.
Luckily, Batuigas’ son-in-law Giovanni Amarillo rescued her.
When Batuigas was no longer in Alipongan’s clutches, the suspect again took his son hostage. He ran inside Batuigas’ house, took a knife, and poked it at his son.
Another neighbor, 52-year-old Ma. Elena Bereber came forward and made a deal with Alipongan.
She offered herself in exchange of the infant.
Alipongan took the deal and threw his son to the ground. Luckily, the boy was unscathed.
Jomuad said the suspect tried to stab Bereber but she parried the attack with her arm.
At that juncture, Alipongan’s father and a certain Alex Aldea, a retired policeman, came and negotiated for the release of the woman.
Alipongan obliged and surrendered his weapon to Aldea.
Responding policemen later arrested him.
Alipongan is now detained and will be charged for frustrated homicide and possession of deadly weapon.
