Duterte recalls 1989 hostage crisis in Davao

Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday narrated before members of the business community the account of the 1989 hostage crisis inside the Davao City prison.

Duterte recalled that he was inside a church when he received a call from then President Corazon Aquino instructing him to deal with the hostage-taking incident involving convict Felipe Pugoy and other inmates.

When he arrived at the Davao Penal Colony, he learned that one of the hostage victims was a child. That was when he offered himself as hostage in exchange for the child's freedom, he said.

"Nung sinabi na may bata, lumapit na ako dun... 'Huwag ka pumasok.' 'Hindi, hindi, hindi,' sabi ko, 'Tingnan ko lang yung bata.' Sabi ko, 'I-release niyo yung bata, ako ang papalit,'" he narrated.

He told the suspects that they could take him as hostage in his office in the Davao City Hall. "Pagdating sa opisina, I suffered the humiliation of being a hostage in my own office in Davao City."

He admitted that he had wanted to kill all the hostage-takers. The late president, however, wanted the crisis to be resolved peacefully.

Months later, Pugoy again took hostages inside the Davao Metrodiscom. Among the victims were "prayer warriors," including Australian missionary Jaqueline Hamill, who was raped by the inmates.

This time, Duterte had the following orders: "'We end it here. If we have to kill everybody including the hostages, tapusin natin ito lahat.'"

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