Man holds 3 persons hostage, stabs neighbor

Suspect goes wild in his house after live-in partner left him

SUSPECTED junkie Allen Diendo lives in a sitio in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City called Tinabangay, which means mutual help in English.

Yesterday morning, Diendo got no help from anybody when he held hostage three persons and stabbed a neighbor. He had gone wild after his live-in partner left him last Sunday.

“Nagtinarong ta siya og pangayo og tabang (He should have asked help properly),” said tanod Narciso Gador.

Neighbors ganged up on Diendo, who was arrested by Gador and three other tanods.

Gador said the drama started at 7 a.m. and lasted for more than 30 minutes.

Diendo, 37, held hostage Jomar Loberanes, 26; mother Merlinda Loberanes, 55; and niece Nicole dela Peña, 5.

He stabbed neighbor Yolanda Ybañez, 33, and wounded her in both arms.

Gador said the suspect reportedly went berserk after his live-in partner left him.

Cuts

Ybañez and Diendo were rushed to a local hospital. Loberanes suffered small cuts in his hands from fighting off Diendo.

Diendo and the Loberanes family were living in the same house in Tinabangay with their rooms separated by thin plywood.

Before the incident, Jomar said he heard Diendo sounding restless in his room.

He said the suspect was acting strange since his live-in partner, who is Jomar’s cousin, left.

Diendo later tore down the wall and barged into the room of the Loberaneses on the second floor. He was holding a knife.

Merlinda, who held Nicole, later kicked the window open, stepped on the canopy and jumped to the ground. The two were not injured.

Diendo grabbed Jomar and pointed his knife at the latter’s neck.

The suspect demanded for a cellular phone so he could talk to his wife who reportedly was in Ormoc City, Leyte.

“Wala man miy selpon. Ang among mga silingan wala pud nihatag og selpon (We have no cell phone. Our neighbors did not give any cell phone),” said Jomar.

Diendo later demanded for a vehicle.

After a neighbor shouted there was a car in the vacant lot, Diendo came down still holding Jomar. They walked toward the lot, but neighbors surrounded them.

Jomar broke free by elbowing Diendo in the stomach. Diendo chased him.

Diendo failed to catch up and turned his ire on Ybañez and stabbed her.

The suspect dropped his knife to the ground and entered the house of Cecilia Cabanes, 47.

But his neighbors grabbed him outside and mauled him. Gador’s team arrived and saved Diendo from the mob.

Diendo was locked up at the Cebu City Police Station 11.