Archbishop's Palace intruder had depression

CEBU CITY – The man who was killed by policemen in a shootout inside the Archbishop’s Palace last Tuesday noon was suffering from depression.

Jeffrey Cañedo became mentally unstable after he and his wife separated, said his father Feliciano, who went to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) after the incident.

Feliciano, a retired policeman, said his son, the eldest of four siblings, wanted to seek advice from Cebu’s top church official as he wanted to have his marriage annulled.

Cañedo had two children. He once worked in Qatar and a former employee of Cebu City’s Department of Public Services.

Feliciano said Jeffrey had tried to seek medical attention but was told there was nothing with him.

Feliciano added they thought that what Jeffrey needed was spiritual counseling and that might be the reason why he wanted to meet Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma last Tuesday.

Feliciano, however, said the family wasn’t aware that Jeffrey went to the Archbishop’s Palace on that day.

Jeffrey was killed after he allegedly fired shots at the police, who rushed to Archbishop’s Palace on Jakosalem Street after receiving a report that an armed man was in Palma’s office.

Jeffrey was armed with a .38 revolver and a knife when he went to Palma’s office.

Police tried to convince Jeffrey to yield but he fought back and was eventually killed after an exchange of shots.

Msgr. Joseph Tan, media liaison officer of the Archdiocese of Cebu, said the 68-year-old Palma will provide assistance to Jeffrey’s family.

“He also plans to visit the wake once he returns to Cebu,” Tan said.

Palma was in Manila during the incident.