Formee Senator Leila De Lima thanked Senator Robin Padilla for visiting and checking up on her after an attempted hostage taking incident in Camp Crame on Sunday.
Padilla visited De Lima at the Philippine National Police (PNP) General Hospital where she is currently confined due to chest pain after what she called a near death experience.
“It is my first time seeing & talking to him personally and it’s a little bit surreal & disconcerting that the topic of our 1st meeting is the very alarming & near-death incident last Sunday, ni sa imahinasyon ay di ko naisip na mangyayari ‘yun,” she said in a statement.
“Thank you for your concern and kindness, Sen. Robin. Thank you for the sincerity in listening as I recount that terrible experience of mine and for personally checking on my condition,” De Lima added.
De Lima said that her hostage-taker lamented his treatment at the custodial center and threatened to kill her because he knew that he would also be killed after attempting to escape the facility.
In a sworn statement, De Lima said that she was praying in her cell when an inmate entered her cell and pressed a sharp object in her chest.
“At sinabihan ako na ‘Ma’am patay na ang kasamahan ko kaya kailangan mo sumama sa akin kasi papatayin din ako,’” she said.
De Lima said that the hostage-taker saw that the gate was closed so she was dragged back to her cell and later on blindfolded by towels.
“Paulit-ulit niyang sinasabi na patay na ang dalawa niyang kasama at wala daw siyang choice dahil ako lang daw ang paraan na makalabas siya at makatakas,” De Lima said.
The suspect also asked for a cellphone but De Lima said that she could not provide it to him. The suspect also demanded a Hummer, and a C-130 to bring him to Sulu.
“He got more frantic and agitated and sabi kailangan niya ng media. He also told me na tawagin ko daw ang pulis para sabihin ko sa kanila ‘yung mga hinihingi niya,” she said.
“Ang sagot niya si Sulayao. Ang sabi niya, ‘Marami kaming reklamo sa ginagawa sa amin dito. Para kaming hayop itrato at ang mga pagkain ay may baboy’,” the hostage-taker told De Lima.
The former senator even tried to calm her hostage taker and said that she could help him meet his demands.
“Sabi niya, ‘Mamatay na rin lang ako ma’am kaya isasama na kita. Maraming sniper diyan sa labas,’” she said.
“Sigaw siya ng sigaw na kailangan niya ng media at nung wala pa, sinabi niya, ‘Ito na po ma’am, oras na, mamatay na tayo,” De Lima said.
