A POLICE general who shot dead the terrorist who held hostage former Sen. Leila Delima in her cell at Camp Crame last year has been named the new director of the Southern Police District.
Brig. Gen. Mark Pespes will replace Brig. Gen. Roderick Mariano, who was reassigned to the office of PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr.
Pespes served as the PNP deputy director for intelligence prior to his designation as director of SPD, which covers the cities of Parañaque, Pasay, Makati, Taguig, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa and the town of Pateros.
It was not immediately clear why Mariano was replaced.
Mariano assumed command as SPD director last July. He previously served as deputy chief for administration at the Caraga regional police office.
Pespes gained prominence in October last year after he shot dead Daulah Islamiyah member Feliciano Sulayao Jr., who held hostage De Lima in her cell inside the PNP Custodial Center.
The hostage-taking occurred during the botched escape of three terrorists detained at the same jail — Abu Sayyaf leader Idang Susukan, Daulah Islamiyah members Arnel Cabintoy and Sulayao.
Susukan and Cabintoy were shot by a sniper after they stabbed and wounded a policeman delivering food for the detainees during their planned escape.
Sulayao ran to the cell of De Lima after a female guard locked the exit door of the jail facility. He then tied and blindfolded De Lima and took her hostage.
Pespes, then a colonel and commander of the PNP Headquarters Support Service, negotiated for the release of De Lima for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Pespes shot Sumayao dead while he was giving drinking water to the suspect, who had threatened to kill the former senator.
De Lima has been detained since February 2017 on drug-related charges. She has denied the charges that she said were part of the Duterte administration’s persecution for opposing its war on drugs which has led to human rights violations.
