Jan. 18.2013
CEBU, Philippines - Policemen and firefighters of Catbalogan City in Samar ended a 3-hour hostage crisis at the office of the Social Security System where a security guard shot a fellow guard and an office clerk at around 2:45 pm yesterday
A report from the Philippine Information Agency stated that after a stand off with negotiators, the fire department broke the glass door of the SSS office enabling the police's Special Weapons Attack Team to barge inside.
The hostage taker was identified only as a certain Dabucol, a blue guard of the SSS. His victims were co-guard Melvin Oliva and SSS senior clerk Dionito Mate. As of press time, both have been rushed to the hospital.
The hostage taker had also been shot and was also brought to the hospital.
A sketchy report from Dr. Dominador Cabangbangan, president of the Catbalogan Chamber who was reached by this reporter, said he was near the scene as it happened.
A few of the SSS employees who were freed by the hostage taker took refuge in his store, where they related to him what happened inside, said Cabangbangan.
Dabucol reportedly got mad at Oliva and shot the latter, who took cover at a teller's table, presumably that of Mate, but that did not deter the gunman from firing his gun. The shooting reportedly immediately took place after the employees timed in at 1 p.m..
The employees did not know what irked Dabucol but mentioned that it had something to do about the song "Pusong Sinugatan." They added that they were very scared, even when the hostage taker was letting them go out one at a time, because he was still aiming his shotgun at them.
The camouflaged police seen in the video are known as PNP scouts.
Nice blood trail.
