Lawyer, security guard killed in 13-hour hostage crisis

Police negotiates with a hostage taker inside a commercial building in San Juan City on Tuesday morning.  ERWIN AGUILON/Radyo Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines- The thirteen-hour hostage drama in a commercial building in San Juan City ended in tragedy on Tuesday morning after the victim lawyer and the hostage-taker security guard were killed, police said.

The victim, identified as Atty. Solomon Condonuevo, 65, was rushed to the San Juan Medical Center after being shot by the suspect identified as Charlimaine Aton, 35, Police Officer Louie Orani told INQUIRER.net.

Orani said the lawyer died from a gunshot wound in the head, while the security guard shot himself with his caliber .38 gun.

He said Aton was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

A report from Radyo Inquirer 990AM said police heard gunshots Tuesday morning after the suspect refused to surrender following a thirteen-hour standoff.

The hostage drama started 7:00 p.m. Monday night in Barangay (village) Balumbato in San Juan City.

Aton held Condonuevo hostage following a heated argument with the lawyer.

The suspect demanded to talk to his ex-girlfriend Luz Robles who was living in Sta. Mesa in Manila but police officials said his girlfriend was already in Mindanao and they could not contact her.

The family of Condonuevo was also on site to convince the suspect to release the lawyer, but he defied the negotiators’ appeal.

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