San Juan police chief, SWAT members sacked, probed for fatal hostage drama

The chief of the San Juan City police and members of his Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team were relieved of their posts Thursday as an investigation got under way on their possible lapses in handling the June 27 hostage drama that left a lawyer and a security guard dead.

Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Supt. Abelardo Villacorta issued the relief order on Senior Supt. Joselito Daniel and his SWAT men, whose names were not immediately available, according to EPD assistant spokesperson PO2 Catherine Capinpin.

This was to give way to an investigation by the Internal Affairs Office of the Philippine National Police into their handling of the incident at a commercial building on F. Roman Street, where security guard Charlemaene Aton shot and killed lawyer Solomon Condenuevo (not Condonuevo, as stated in earlier media reports) after holding him hostage at his law office for almost 10 hours.

An investigation showed that Aton, who showed signs of being mentally unstable and made unrealistic demands, like a phone call to US President Barack Obama, turned the gun on himself after killing the lawyer.

In media interviews, Daniel then said the two men had a heated argument late Monday night and that Aton made good on his threat to shoot the lawyer the next morning when he heard a vehicle siren and thought that a police assault was under way. The sound was actually from a fire truck announcing the start of the water-drenching frenzy among street revelers marking the San Juan fiesta that day, he explained.

“They will be returned to their posts if no lapses are found,” Capinpin said of the relieved officers, adding that they would be reporting to the National Capital Region Police Office in the meantime.

Daniel’s deputy, Supt. Jose Rivera, would serve as officer in charge of the San Juan police while members of the EPD Public Safety Battalion-SWAT would replace their relieved counterparts in the city.

“Mabigat ang loob ko (I feel bad about it),” Daniel said when reached for comment, insisting that he and his men “did all we could and worked hard” in compliance with procedures.