Crewman holds cook hostage

A crew member of a cargo vessel held hostage his fellow worker inside the vessel anchored in a shipyard in barangay Opao, Mandaue City.

Police managed to subdue the hostage-taker after a three-hour negotiation.

Personal problems may have affected the hostage-taker’s mental state, said police.

It was around 10:30 a.m. yesterday when Garry Pevidal, 30, bodegero of M/V Jasper and a native of barangay Isla Verde, Batangas City, grabbed Mauricio Amorte, 54, and dragged him to the rear portion of the vessel.

Pevidal threatened to slash Amorte’s neck with a bolo.

Responding to the alarm, Senior Insp. Mitche Gabod and PO3 Ramil Mendoza, members of the Opao police station, went to the vessel docked at Cabahug Shipyard for  a mechanical repair.

Gabod served as negotiator.

Pevidal allowed Gabod to enter the vessel but asked the policeman not to bring a firearm.

Mendoza tried to convince Pevidal to release his co-worker as he might suffer a heart attack.

Pevidal refused to release Amorte and instead demanded a boat that would bring him to Batangas.

The policeman told Pevidal that his request will only be granted if he would surrender his bolo.

Pevidal handed the bolo to Gabod, giving the policeman the opportunity to grab him. Pevidal was subdued and was whisked into an ambulance. He was later detained at the Opao police station.

Amorte was rushed to the Mandaue City Hospital for checkup. He decided not to file charges against Pevidal.

In an interview, Pevidal said he became depressed after he and her live-in partner broke up because both of their parents were against the relationship.

Arcanghel Macaraig, the boat captain and a relative of the hostage taker, said it was the first time that Pevidal acted strangely after two years of working in the vessel.

Macaraig said Pevidal had been drinking liquor in the past few days and has been skipping meals. He was also heard talking to himself that someone was out to kill him./CORRESPONDENT NORMAN V. MENDOZA