Hostage-taker’s killing a judgement call

Police yesterday insisted that the shooting death  of a man who took a girl hostage onboard a passenger ferry in the port of Cebu City Wednesday was a “judgement call” of the police officer on the ground.

Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, chief of the City Intelligence Branch (CIB) of the Cebu City Police Office, said SPO4 Rogelio Cañete Jr of the Punta Princesa Police Station had to shoot Andrew Lendio because he allegedly started hurting his hostage.

“It was a judgement call of SPO4 Cañete to shoot Lendio because the 13-year-old victim was in danger,” Satander said.

Senior Insp. Gerald Suquib, commander of the Punta Princesa Police Station,  said Cañete was just doing his job.

Cañete was at the Pier 1 of Cebu City port when the hostage-taking onboard the MV Filipinas Cebu took place.

Senior Supt. Noli Romana, chief of police of Cebu City, nonetheless ordered an investigation to determine what actually happened.

Cañete has surrendered his .9mm service pistol to the CCPO Homicide Section.

The minor victim who was sustained a gunshot wound in the cheek is already out of danger, but remains confined at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

The hostage-taker  was the second officer of MV Filipinas Butuan, a vessel owned by Cokaliong Shipping. He had been with the shipping line for four years. His colleagues described him as the silent type.

Semestral break

The teenage hostage, a second year high school student at the Sister of Mary School, was among the 200 students on board the vessel.

They were on their way home to Antique for the semestral break.

Lendio who was armed with a knife allegedly grabbed the girl and dragged her to the sun deck where a standoff ensued between him and the policemen who responded to the incident.

Police said Lendio was not demanding anything and  just poked the knife at the girl.

The hostage-taker’s half brother, Marvin Maller, said Lendio would go berserk each time he gets drunk. He couldn’t say if Lendio had any serious problem that would’ve driven him to do the unexpected.

Lendio’s wife is working abroad and they have a daughter.

Roy Redoña, 17, one of the passengers said he tried to pacify Lendio and asked him to release the girl to no avail.

Capt. Sabeniano Fuderanan,  said in his 10 years as master of the ship, it was the first time he encountered such an incident./CORRESPONDENT CHITO O. ARAGON