ILOILO – Local authorities intervened to rescue two young boys from their father after he allegedly tied them up, hurt them, and sent a video of the incident to their mother, who is working abroad, on Thursday night, March 20.
Lieutenant Christy Val Dalde, chief of the San Enrique Municipal Police Station, clarified that the incident was not a hostage-taking but a rescue operation to ensure the children’s safety.
“There was no hostage-taking. Our goal was to rescue the children and ensure their safety,” Dalde said.
The father, identified as alias “Jan,” 31, of Barangay Compo, reportedly attacked his sons, aged 8 and 10, after discovering explicit videos of his wife with a male co-worker abroad.
Jan allegedly hacked into his wife’s messenger account and found evidence of her affair. Overcome with anger, he allegedly tied up and physically assaulted his children, recorded the act, and sent the video footage to his wife in Saudi Arabia, police said.
In the video, Jan was seen pleading with his wife to return home while the children cried in distress.
Following this, the wife’s family sought assistance from the police to rescue the children.
San Enrique’s Mayor Trixie Fernandez personally went to the scene to negotiate with Jan for the release of the children.
However, instead of handing them over to authorities, the father requested that a trusted friend take custody of them and it was honored.
Despite the emotional situation, Jan refused to surrender full custody of his children to their mother.
Meanwhile, in a radio interview with Jan’s friend, alias “JP”, he said it was the two kids who staged a fake hostage drama in order for their mother to return home.
The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office is now handling the case, determining the best custody arrangement for the minors.
Mayor Fernandez also assured that Jan will receive appropriate intervention and support./PN
