CEBU CITY, Philippines — The chief of Carbon Police Station suspects that the man who held hostage two women on Sunday, September 5, 2021, at a stall at the Carbon Market was under the influence of drugs.
Police Major Kenneth Albotra, Carbon Police Station commander, believes Edsan Rafols, 24, jobless, and a resident of Villagonzalo 2 in Barangay Tejero, Cebu City, could have been under the influence of illegal drugs when he carried out the hostage at around 2 a.m. on Sunday.
“Amoang tan-aw niya, mura siyag under the influence of drugs,” Albotra said.
(We believe he was under the influence of drugs.)
Albotra said Rafols was initially arrested for curfew violation. But when the arresting police and Rafols arrived at the Carbon Police Station, he reportedly ran away and escaped. He then went inside a stall at the Carbon Public Market where two women were sleeping on a bamboo bench.
The two were identified as Rowena Dinopol, 21, and her mother Conchita Dinopol, both residents of Barangay Basak-Pardo. At that time, they were sleeping inside their vegetable stall in the market.
Albotra said that Rafols then held these two women hostage, armed with a 13-inch knife that police believe he got from the stall.
Police reportedly tried to negotiate with the suspect to surrender himself and his weapon but Rafols did not listen to them.
Albotra added that they sought assistance from the Special Weapons and Tactics personnel of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) in trying to convince the suspect to release his victims. However, Rafols remained agitated and threatened to stab the victims should anyone go near him.
The suspect eventually tried to stab the victims at one point, prompting Police Senior Master Sergeant Soque of the SWAT team to shoot Rafols on his right shoulder to neutralize him. Albotra said that the suspect lost his hold over the knife when he was shot.
Albotra said that the suspect is admitted to a hospital in Cebu City as he sustained a gunshot wound on his shoulder. He added that Rafols is already in stable condition.
Albotra said charges of grave threats, alarm and scandal, disobeying a lawful order, and illegal possession of a bladed weapon were being readied against Rafols regardless if the victims will not file a complaint against him.
As of this posting, the victims have not visited their office to file a complaint yet.
Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, CCPO chief, said that they are encouraging the two victims to pursue filing a complaint against the suspect.
Ligan recently said that their anti-criminality campaign has been prioritized even amid the pandemic, especially on illegal drugs since this may result to crimes.
As the illegal drug problem continues in Cebu City, they are ensuring that their intel works in interfering with the drug trades continue.
READ MORE: Police ready charges against wounded Carbon hostage taker