BAGUIO CITY: A hostage crisis involving a distressed man at Sunflower Street, Quezon Hill Proper on Saturday afternoon ended with no casualties after six hours with the intervention of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) and concerned local officials.

Acting city director Col. Francisco Bulwayan Jr. said a 40-year-old security guard held his girlfriend’s sister and her 4-year-old daughter as hostages inside their rented apartment over a personal misunderstanding with his live-in partner.

The owner of the house told police that the security guard had a gun. He locked the room and chained one of the victims during the alleged hostage-taking that caught many residents by surprise.

A tense negotiation between the police and the hostage taker took place for over six hours before the latter was collared by responding police operatives who breached the hostage area.

While negotiations were ongoing between the suspect and the police negotiator, a SWAT team rescued the victims through the bedroom window before grabbing the suspect, who did not resist arrest.

The two hostages have been safely led away from the hostage area and are immediately attended to by the Women and Children’s Protection Desk of the BCPO and staff from the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

An Armscor 9mm pistol and a magazine containing seven rounds of ammunition were confiscated from the suspect.

Police will file a case for serious illegal detention, violation of the pertinent provisions of Republic Act 7610, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition against the suspect, who is now under the custody of BCPO Naguilian Police Station 1.