Ship officer slain in hostage-taking

CEBU, Philippines - An officer of a passenger ship was killed while a 13-year-old girl he allegedly held hostage was injured when a policeman shot him after he refused to surrender last night.

Andrew Lindio, 32, a second mate of the ship, sustained at least two gunshot wounds to his head when SPO4 Rogelio Cañete opened fire.

Lindio’s alleged victim, Ginajean Pelingon, was hit below her nose, the bullet stuck on the left side of her neck. The girl was rushed to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Pelingon, a native of Sibalom, Antique, is a Grade 7 high school student at the Sisters of Mary Schools (SMS) in Talisay City.

She was still in her uniform, a green t-shirt and dark blue skirt, and shoes during the incident.

The incident happened inside MV Filipinas Cebu of Cokaliong Shipping Lines in Pier 1 about 6:30 p.m., 30 minutes before the supposed departure of the vessel to Iloilo.

According to 17-year-old Rey Redoña, who first tried to negotiate with Lindio, the suspect was drunk.

“Sinabihan ko siya na ‘sir, ibaba mo kutsilyo mo. Huwag kang mandamay ng bata. Lasing ka lang. Then parang nanghina siya sa sinabi ko,”said  Redoña.

Redoña, a construction worker and a native of La Paz, Leyte, was on his deck while waiting for the vessel to depart when Lindio, who was armed with a knife, came running.

He saw the suspect proceed to the nearby sundeck and grabbed Pelingon, who was among the passengers in the area.

During the hostage-taking, which lasted for about 15 minutes, Lindio did not say a word and was just holding the girl tight while pointing a long knife at her.

Redoña said a policeman, who was later known as Cañete of Punta Princesa Police Station, arrived and tried to negotiate with Lindio.

“Sasaksakin na niya iyong bata kaya binaril na lang siya ng pulis,” Redoña said.

Cañete and PO1 Henry Alejandrino were at Pier 1 to send off a passenger of another ship, MV Filipinas Butuan.

Senior Insp. Pablito Sarno, deputy director of Waterfront Police Station, said Lindio came running from MV Filipinas Butuan, where he allegedly went wild.

Pelingon’s classmate, Charina Joyce Nobleza, 13, said they were with the victim when the suspect grabbed her.

“At that time, parang e-escape sana siya pero na-corner siya then hinila na lang niya si Ginajean,” Nobleza said.

She said Pelingon was with her father, who was eating at his deck, when the suspect arrived and grabbed the girl.

Nobleza said they were bound for home. They were supposed to have their vacation in January but because of the earthquake and eventual suspension of classes until Nov. 3, they were sent home.

Joel Malaubang, the ship nurse who first attended to Pelingon, said the girl was in stable condition.

Minutes after the incident, some 200 other classmates of Pelingon arrived and were escorted by Sister Marinelle Sauza.

Sauza said since the girls are their responsibility, they will escort them to Iloilo where their parents would fetch them.

She said they sent the girls to an early vacation because of the earthquake. SMS has 3,200 students, she said.

Cop surrendered

Cañete also went to the hospital and later proceeded to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) and surrendered his firearm.

CCPO’s Homicide Section now has in its custody the knife allegedly used by the suspect.

Chief Insp. Wildemar Tiu, Waterfront Police chief, said it was judgment call for Cañete to shoot the hostage-taker.

“He exhausted all means na pa-surrender-on ang suspect but he saw imminent danger, so as judgment call, iyang gipusil,” said Tiu.

But Tiu said Cañete will undergo investigation.

Marites Aller, Lindio’s younger sister, said her brother’s wife, who works as a domestic helper in Canada, is set to arrive in the country on December 5.

“Wala g’yud mi kasabot unsa’y iyang problema nganong nahubog siya. Excited pa naman kaayo sila sa iyang asawa magkita na sila after three years,” Aller said.

Sabiniano Fuderanan, the ship captain, said MV Filipinas Cebu proceeded with its voyage a few hours later.

Chase Cokaliong, vice president for Fleet operations of Cokaliong Shipping Lines, said they will conduct their own investigation.

He confirmed that Lindio is one of their officers.

The suspect reported for work at 6:02 pm and his workmates noticed that he was drunk.

 â€œMaybe he had some personal problems maong nakainom, but we can only speculate kay wa na man siya para mo-confirm,” said Cokaliong.

The shipping company will shoulder all expenses for the victim. -/LPM (FREEMAN)