Amok stabs Parañaque cop in head, chest

MANILA, Philippines — A police officer, protecting children from being held hostage in Parañaque, was stabbed in the head and chest after a man, believed to be positive for illegal drugs, went amok on Friday.

S/Sgt. Carlo Navarro recounted that he was responding to a call from a concerned citizen about a man, identified only as Arnold, causing commotion along Creek Drive 1.

“I lost my balance when he approached me. Then he attacked with a butcher knife. He was determined to kill because he stabbed me in my fatal parts,” the 45-year-old Navarro told reporters yesterday.

Navarro, assigned to the BF Homes police substation, said he was extra cautious when he approached and tried to pacify Arnold, who was holding a broomstick and a butcher knife.

He noted that children were behind Arnold and could be taken as hostages.

Navarro was stabbed three times in the head and once in the chest.

Maj. Elmer Accanta, BF Homes police substation chief, said the suspect has a history of picking fights when under the influence of drugs.

Arnold apologized to Navarro for the incident, saying “I acted the way I did because I have plenty of problems.”

He is detained at Parañaque police station pending the filing of multiple charges, including one for frustrated murder and illegal possession of bladed weapons.

Gen. Joseph Arguelles, acting Southern Police District director, commended Navarro for his bravery.

“Navarro embodies the highest ideals of service and sacrifice. He did not hesitate to put his life on the line to protect the community,” Arguelles said in a statement yesterday.