Mom races to frontline at height of prison siege

Please don’t shoot my son,” cried Lucy Sablan as she tried to convince the police officers to allow her to see her son William and convince him to surrender.

When she heard about the takeover of the detention center by the prisoners, Lucy rushed to the Department of Public Safety at around 3 am.

She waited patiently with her two sons Jose and Henry. At around 7 am, they were joined by William’s wife, Maria. William demanded a change in the unsanitary condition in the prison facility.

“The problem is they have problems inside and they are not taking care of it,” said Lucy in defense of her son. The Sablan family was worried that William would kill himself under the circumstances.

For every gunshot that was fired during the 14-hour hostage drama, Lucy’s worry intensifies. Not a single police officer could give a clear situation on what was really happening in the detention center.

Her son Junior was worried about her mother’s condition since she was suffering from high blood pressure.

At around 11 am after the fourth shot was fired, Lucy could no longer take it. She crossed the yellow line and demanded to police officers that she be allowed to talk to William.

Lucy cried and begged. She argued. But the policemen were firm. She cannot see her son.

At around 2 pm., the police finally gave in to Lucy’s request as the prisoners also demanded to see their families. With her daughter-in-law Maria, they were allowed to wave at William who was standing at a glass door that separates the detention center from the Department of Public Safety.

After a few minutes, the nine millimeter Smith and Wesson gun was thrown out, signaling the end of the hostage drama. Teary-eyed Lucy was able to kiss her son William who was already handcuffed before he was transferred to another detention area. She later thanked the police officers for not hurting her son.

Maria, 32 was awakened by a call from husband William at about 2 am telling her that he is being surrounded by policemen. She immediately called up the detention center to check on her husband’s situation but the police officer who answered the phone simply told her that William would probably die that morning.

At around 7 am., Maria rushed to DPS with her daughters Grace and Juliet, where she waited with William’s family. Worried that it might affect two of her children who will go to school, she did not mention the incident to them. Five-year old daughter Grace who sensed the worried look on her mother’s face asked: Would the policemen kill my Daddy.?

Another mother of prisoner Marina Kaipat was just too happy to find out that her son Albert was safe. A Filipino inmate, Saddy Charteron was not too lucky because it was his first night in prison. His friends who went to visit him at the detention center to bring his clothes were shocked to find the facility under siege.