Police shoots armed man inside Cebu Archbishop Palace

July 10, 2018

CEBU CITY -- Police on Tuesday shot dead an armed man who entered the Cebu Archbishop Palace compound and drew out his firearm. Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, Central Visayas regional police director, said Jeffrey Cañedo, from Barangay Labangon  entered the Archbishop Palace compound in Barangay Zapatera at around 10:40 am and was looking for  Archbishop Jose Palma. Security guard Remegio Debuayan said Cañedo was wearing a bonnet when he entered the place so he tried to stop him. But he noticed the man was armed and uttering the name “Palma”, so he  called the police. Police Officer 1 Sheila Mae Estremo of the Mobile Patrol Group said they went to the Archbishop's Palace. Estremo said they tried to stop Cañedo but he drew his firearm, prompting  police to shoot him. "When engaged at by the suspect/shooter, the police returned fire and hit the former (Debuayan), causing his instantaneous death," an initial police report said. Police said said no one from the palace was hurt, and Palma was not in the premises.

 Sinas added that the staff of Palma who were able to talk to Cañedo before the shooting incident noticed that the suspect looked disturbed.

 "He looked disturbed. He was looking for Archbishop Palma. He wanted to confess as he said he had many sins, but the secretaries noticed he was behaving oddly," said Sinas.

Sinas said they could not yet say if Cañedo was there to kill Palma.

Sinas went to see Jeffrey’s father, Feliciano. The father told Sinas his son is not in good terms with his wife and they live separately, though they have two children.

  The father said his son was greatly saddened by their separation, according to Sinas.  DMS