An almost seven-hour hostage drama shocked residents of barangay Mayuga, Guindulman wherein a man in his late 30s threatened to kill his three children while his wife was in hospital, giving birth to their fourth child.

PO1 Expidito Hinampas of Guindulman police station identified the man as Roberto Berdera, a 38-year-old resident of in barangay Mayuga, Guindulman.

According to initial investigation, Berdera had taken in poison a day before, but was rescued by relatives.

The morning after, he complained of stomach ache and at around 9 a.m. he took his three children hostage—a six-year-old, the other aged 4 and another only two years old.

The hostage-taker’s wife had just given birth to the fourth child at a hospital in Guindulman when the incident happened.

The responding cops tried to negotiate with Berdera, together with the relatives and friends of the family, for him to yield.

However, the hostage-taker, instead, tied the eldest child in the neck and the legs.

At around 3:45 p.m., Berdera came out of the house with the two other children and a knife in his hand.

Pointing it to the neck of one of the children, he told the crowd that he would just count to three and would kill the children if his wife won’t arrive.

Upon the go-signal of the municipal chief of police, one of the cops decided to shoot Berdera on the head, using the 9 mm service firearm.

The cops rescued the hostaged children and rushed Berdera Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital.

As of press time, Berdera is still recuperating at the hospital.