Sailor holds cook hostage

CEBU, Philippines - What would have been a lazy Sunday at a dock in Man-daue City turned out to be drama-filled as a sailor held hostage a fellow member of the crew.

Luckily, after almost three hours of negotiation, the victim was released unharmed.

The suspect was identified as Gary Garbin Pevidal, 30 from Isla Verde, Batangas.

He works as a warehouseman of M/V Jasper, a small cargo vessel that is docked at the Cabahug Shipyard in Opao, Mandaue City.

Pevidal held hostage Mauricio Amorte, 54, the vessel’s cook, using an 18-inch bolo.

The suspect claimed that his fellow crew members were mad at him.

“Nalaman ko na galit sila sa akin. Natiktikan ko kasi na hindi maganda tingin nila sa’kin, parang may gagawin sila sa’kin kaya inunahan ko na lang,” (I learned that they are angry at me. I noticed that they kind of had theat hateful look and that they wanted to so something bad at me, so I jumped the gun on them) the suspect said.

Pevidal held the chef hostage at 10:30 a.m. and released him at 1:15 p.m., the police said.

“Bumaba ako at kinuha ko ‘yung gulok. Nagdilim ang paningin ko kaya iyon, hinostage ko siya,” (I went down and got the bolo. My sight went dim so that was it, I held him hostage) the suspect admitted to reporters.

Pevidal held Amorte at the lower deck of the two-deck boat.

Archangel Macaraig, 52, the vessel’s captain, said they arrived at Cabahug Shipyard at 6 a.m. yesterday after having a few drinks and loading some of their cargo, which are 1,000 sacks of dried seaweeds, in Barangay Looc.

Macaraig said that they came from Caluya, Antique before docking in Cebu.

He said he was outside the boat when he learned of the hostage-taking incident.

The captain said that he went up to the boat to try to negotiate with the suspect, who had the tip of the bolo pointed at Amorte’s neck.

After almost two hours, the captain asked help from somebody to call the police.

A team from the Special Weapons and Tactic (SWAT) and the Mobile Patrol Group of the Mandaue City Police Office rushed to the area.

PO3 Rommel Mendoza was trying to negotiate with the suspect when Sr. Insp. Metchie Gabod, MCPO’s officer of the day, arrived and went up the boat to take over the negotiation.

Gabod, in an interview, said she first told the suspect to settle any problem he has and the police will help him.

“Gistoryaan jud nako siya by heart para makuha iyang kumpiyansa. At first hesitant siya ug uneasy kay hadlok siya na pusilon, so ako gipakita na dili mi niya kalaban,” (I had a heart to heart talk with him so I can gain his trust. At first he was hesitant and uneasy as he was worried he would be shot, so I showed him that we were not his enemy) Gabod said.

She added that she handed her service firearm to another policeman before the suspect so Pevidal would feel at ease.

Gabod then slowly approached the suspect until he got hold of the weapon and disarmed the suspect, who did not offer any resistance.

The other policemen then immediately arrested the suspect, who tried to jump off the boat.

“Ming-kisi-kisi siya pero ako na sad giingnan na ayaw lang kahadlok, mao tong mingkuyog na siya namo,” (He tried to wriggle free, but I told him not be afraid so he went with us) Gabod further said.

Gabod, who is also assigned as chief of MCPO’s Women and Children’s Protection Desk, said she felt greatly relieved with the suspect’s arrest.

Pevidal was taken to the MCPO while Amorte, a native of Hinigaran, Bacolod City, who suffered from hypertension, was taken to the Mandaue City District Hospital.

He has already been released.

Macaraig said the suspect, who is his distant relative, is a kind person and was friends with the rest of the crew.

“Para lang kaming mga magkakapatid lahat. Nag-iba lang talaga isip niya nu’n,” (We are like brothers. His mind just flipped that time) Macaraig said.

He said the suspect got drunk the other night when they were still in Antique.

The suspect, who has been working in the vessel for almost a year already, affirmed to being like brothers with the rest of the crew but admitted having a conflict with Amorte sometimes.

“Nagkakaalitan kami minsan sa ulam,” (We had a disagreement once with regards to the viand) he said.

The suspect is now detained at the stockade of Station 5 in Barangay Opao while waiting for the victim to press charges.—/NLQ (FREEMAN)