Days before the anniversary of the plane crash that killed Local Government secretary Jesse Robredo, an American technical diver with the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA) who helped in the search, rescue and retrieval operation was shot dead late Thursday evening in Las Piñas City.
Commander Armando Balilo, Philippine Coast Guard Public Affairs chief said Captain Matthew Caldwell was shot dead around10:30 p.m. after having a heated argument with one of the secuirty guards at Hamilton Heights Subdivision where he lives.
Initial investigation revealed Caldwell just came from Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City after visiting the house of fellow PCGA technical diver Commander Vanessa Garon-Vandevoort and while entering the gate of the said subdivision, one of the duty guards confronted him and barred him from entering.
The American national together with his Filipina wife argued with the guards until one of the guards suddenly pulled the trigger of his service shotgun and shot Caldwell in the head at pointblank range.
The security guard, who has yet to be identified, immediately escaped and went into hiding after the incident.
Authorities said a 12-gauge shotgun was used in shooting the coast guard auxiliary captain.
Senior Superintendent Adolfo Samala, chief of Las Piñas City Police said the subdivision where Caldwell has factions in the home owners association and that those factions have been fighting.
“It seems that the guards on duty belongs to the other faction while Mr. Caldwell is part of the other, and that’s why they had a misunderstanding when Mr. Caldwell was entering the gate of the subdivision”, Samala said.
Caldwell is a seasoned diver who has lived in the country for more than 20 years and has been a partner of the government, particularly of the Coast Guard, in search and rescue operations in past years.
Balilo sympathized and condemned the shooting. “Matt really loved the Philippines. He had been very helpful to the Coast Guard in the past years and was willing to lend his pro bono services whenever we asked his help”, Balilo said.
The American diver was awarded by no less than President Benigno Aquino III for his participation in “Task Force Kalihim” last year after being one of the dive masters who volunteered in the retrieval operations of Robredo’s remains as well as on-site facilitator for mixing tri-mix gases for other technical divers there.
Caldwell was also praised for his valiant efforts during the search and rescue operations for the victims of M/V Princess of Stars that capsized in Romblon during the height of Typhoon “Frank” in 2008 as well as for diving 220 feet to retrieve victims trapped in M/V Catalyn-B, which sank near Cavite on Christmas Eve of 2009.
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Photo: Divers during Search and Rescue operations in Masbate in 2012 | Photo: Official Gazette
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