San Juan’s top cop, 7 others relieved

MANILA, Philippines - San Juan police chief Senior Superintendent Joselito Daniel and seven members of the city police’s Special Weapons and Tactics unit were relieved yesterday for their lapses in handling a 10-hour hostage drama last June 24.

The incident ended with the hostage-taker, security guard Charlemagne Aton, killing lawyer Solomon Condonuevo before taking his own life.

The police officers will be investigated by the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) and undergo retraining, according to Senior Superintendent Alfred Corpus, chief of directorial staff of the Eastern Police District.

Daniel and the SWAT team may return to their former posts if the IAS clears them of culpability for the hostage drama, Corpus said. He could not say how many days it would take the IAS to finish its investigation.

Superintendent Jose Rivera was designated as officer-in-charge of the San Juan police force.

Aton took Condonuevo hostage at the height of an argument over a missing key on the night of June 23.

Police officers said Aton was despondent after his girlfriend in Dipolog City broke up with him and that he was also set to lose his job as a security guard.

At the height of the negotiations, Aton demanded that he speak with US President Barack Obama or President Aquino. He also demanded that he be sent home to speak with his former girlfriend.

The negotiators said they had a hard time with Aton because he kept on changing his mind.

At past 7 a.m. on June 24, Aton was about to release Condonuevo after the lawyer wrote a letter that he would not pursue any charges against the security guard once the hostage drama is over.

At this juncture, firetrucks participating in the parade for the city’s celebration of the feast of St. John the Baptist started using their sirens as a signal to start the day’s festivities.

Two shots rang out in a room at the Optima Building along N. Domingo street where Aton kept Condonuevo hostage. When police officers rushed in, they found the bloodied bodies of Aton and Condonuevo sprawled on the floor.

Condonuevo was rushed to the San Juan Medical Center where he was declared dead on arrival, while Aton died on the scene.

Police officers theorized that Aton could have mistaken the firetrucks’ siren as a signal for the SWAT team to start an attempt to rescue Condonuevo.