Lawyer, guard dead in hostage drama

MANILA, Philippines - A security guard shot dead a lawyer then killed himself during a 10-hour hostage drama in San Juan City that ended yesterday morning.

Charlemagne Aton, a native of Dipolog City, shot himself in the head with his service firearm, a caliber .38 revolver, before police officers could reach him.

Doctors at the San Juan Medical Center tried to revive lawyer Solomon Condonuevo, 67, but failed.

The hostage-taking occurred just as San Juan City celebrated the feast of its patron saint, John the Baptist.

Despondent

Investigators said Aton had been despondent during the past few days because he had broken up with his girlfriend, who is staying in Dipolog City.

Aton, who was guarding the Optima building on N. Domingo street in Barangay Balong Bato, had an argument with Condonuevo over missing car keys at about 10 p.m. Monday, police said. The lawyer was a tenant of the building.

Investigators said because of his problems – he was reportedly about to be fired – Aton grabbed Condonuevo and took him hostage at gunpoint.

Senior Inspector Melchor Rosales, deputy chief of the San Juan police, and his men rushed to the area and negotiated for Condonuevo’s release.

Rosales claimed that Aton appeared to be mentally unstable as he kept changing his demands, which included speaking with US President Barack Obama and President Aquino and going to his hometown to talk to his girlfriend.

Police officers fetched Aton’s relatives to talk to him into releasing Condonuevo, but to no avail.

Sirens triggered shooting?

Investigators said just as Aton appeared set to release Condonuevo, who had signed affidavit that he would not pursue any charges against the guard, sirens from firetrucks participating in a parade for the city’s festival blocked out most other sounds.

Two shots were heard in the room barricaded by Aton, prompting members of the city police’s Special Weapons and Tactics unit to rush in. They found Condonuevo and Aton, both bloodied, lying on the floor. The lawyer was still breathing when he was rushed to the hospital while Aton died on the scene.

Witnesses said Aton could have mistaken the firetruck’s sirens as a signal to assault him.

Meanwhile, police officers claimed they delayed the assault on Aton in favor of intense negotiations to save the lives of the two men.

The room where Aton took Condonuevo hostage was padlocked and police officers said they had difficulty locating Aton’s exact position because it had “too many divisions.”