Man takes woman, 2 kids hostage in Tondo

MANILA, Philippines — A woman and her two children were held hostage by a man who entered their third-floor unit in an apartment building in Tondo, Manila on Friday night.

Niezel Biroy and her children Chloe, 12, and Joshua, 4, were rescued by Manila Police District (MPD) officers two hours after they were taken hostage.

The hostage-taker, identified only as “Terry,” was armed with a butcher knife when he barged into the Biroys’ unit in the building located at the corner of Franco and Herbosa streets at around 6 p.m., police reported.

Police officers from the MPD’s Raxabago station, Pritil community precinct and the tactical motorcycle riding unit responded to the hostage-taking incident.

Raxabago station commander Lt. Col. Rosalino Ibay Jr. served as negotiator and convinced the hostage-taker to surrender.

Ibay talked to Terry using a mobile video call app, according to videos shared by the MPD. Terry was heard sobbing as he talked to Ibay, who assured him he would be unharmed.

Terry demanded to talk to his sister, which the MPD allowed. The woman helped convince her brother to release the children, who were crying.

Ibay then talked Terry into opening the unit’s door, which the suspect had barricaded with cabinets. Police officers, some clad in uniforms used by Special Weapons and Tactics personnel, moved to free Biroy and take Terry into custody.

MPD chief Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon fetched Terry from the building at past 8 p.m.

Police have yet to provide a detailed report on its investigation of the hostage-taking incident.