After 23 hours Iloilo City Police SWAT ends hotel standoff

CEBU, Philippines – After “virtually” taking over a hotel, Police Officer 2 Gary Catedral was neutralized following a 23-hour standoff between him and the Iloilo City Police Office Special Weapons and Tactics team Monday afternoon.

Catedral sustained a gunshot wound on his right shoulder when the SWAT members decided to assault the El Haciendero Private Hotel at Jaro district in Iloilo City. He was later brought to the West Visayas State University Medical Center.

Inspector Sheila Sangrines of ICPO said they took the final option (of assaulting the hotel) after assessing that the negotiations bogged down. “We’re just thankful that it did not result in any death or serious injury. Aside from PO2 Catedral, no other was hurt,” she said.

Catedral, a relative of ICPO director Khasmir Disomangcop and married to Chief Inspector Diane Catedral of the Bacolod City Police Office, holed himself up inside the hotel and then caused panic among the personnel when he fired his gun from his room.

According to Michelle, a hotel receptionist, Catedral checked in the hotel Saturday evening and occupied Room 1 situated near the front desk.

Catedral allegedly told the receptionist on duty that he will be joined by a companion. The following morning, on Sunday, a hotel staff said about six persons joined Catedral in the room. “They were very noisy but it only went on for five minutes,” Michelle said in Hiligaynon.

By Monday morning, Catedral’s room suddenly fell quiet. The hotel staff later noticed a male companion left the room at about 3 p.m. that day. Shortly later, another gunfire was heard from inside Room 1, prompting the hotel staff to call for police assistance before scampering away, said Michelle.

Responding SWAT members started the negotiations but Catedral refused to surrender his gun, and even told his wife to just go out of the hotel.

Senior Inspector Mark Cordero, team leader of the ICPO negotiating team, said Catedral did not make any tall demands and did not even mention of his problem of his service, particularly his being declared AWOL and the dismissal order due to a complaint filed by a female police officer for direct assault.

“He made no demands. He just wanted his wife, family members, friends, and colleagues in the police service to go,” Cordero said, and that Catedral told the negotiators not to rush him because he will eventually surrender.

On Monday night, his wife Diane tried to give him water and other liquids but he just threw these away. “As a trained SWAT member, he knew that it could have been tainted with sleeping pills,” Cordero said.

By midnight, the negotiating team, even his family, lost contact with Catedral, and they feared he might have committed suicide. But on Tuesday morning, Catedral talked to Cordero and asked for a mobile phone charger, a pair of boxer shorts, Nike shoes and food and soup.

“As to his personal belongings, we let his family handled that. We also have him a charger. He also ate the meal we gave him,” said Cordero.

Later that morning, Catedral fired his gun again and demanded that there should be no policeman in sight. Shortly after, the SWAT decided to conduct the assault.

Catedral, assigned to the Iloilo City Police Public Safety Company, was declared absent without official leave after failing to report for work for several months since. His immediate superior, Superintendent Kim Legada, prodded Catedral to report to office but failed.

Last week, Catedral was charged for illegal discharge of firearm when he fired his gun at Barangay Jalandoni-Wilson in the City Proper district, this city.

The Freeman also learned from police sources that he earlier appealed for his dismissal from service after he was charged by a female police officer for direct assault.

Two years ago, another woman, Joanna Joyce Gayapa, accused Catedral for threats. Gayapa, a resident of Barangay Wilson-Jalandoni, claimed that Catedral confronted and accused her of stealing his two gun magazines, allegations that she said she had no knowledge of.

Until now, it was not known what drove Catedral to occupy the hotel and fired his gun. “He’s been telling me he has no problem. He told me the problem is us, police officers, who were there,” Cordero said.

ICPO director, Senior Superintendent Khasmir Disomangcop, also Catedral’s relative, could only theorized that personal and professional problems may have drove the policeman to do what he did. (FREEMAN)