Cop who shot De Lima hostage-taker is SPD chief

MANILA, Philippines — The police officer who gunned down one of Leila de Lima’s hostage-takers at Camp Crame last year was appointed as the new director of the Southern Police District (SPD).

Brig. Gen. Mark Pespes took over as the new SPD director, replacing Brig. Gen Roderick Mariano, who was transferred to the office of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr.

“Together we can achieve great things, and I look forward to a collective effort that lies ahead. With the support of the community and the stakeholders, let us embark on a journey together with optimism,” Pespes said during yesterday’s turnover ceremony at the SPD grandstand in Taguig City.

Pespes was the one who shot dead Feliciano Sulayao Jr., one of the three inmates who held De Lima hostage at the PNP Custodial Center in October 2022.

Two other inmates involved in the hostage-taking, Arnel Cabinton and Idang Susukan, were shot dead by other policemen.

The hostage-taking lasted 30 minutes but was controlled after Pespes saw the chance to take down Sulayao.

Pespes, who was then the director of the PNP Headquarters Support Service, was promoted to the rank of one-star general after the incident.