By Benjamin Pulta
MANILA – The Antipolo Regional Trial Court (RTC) has convicted five men for the kidnapping and brutal killing of businessman Jose Saribong 13 years ago, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Wednesday.
In a 39-page decision promulgated on April 16, the DOJ said the accused — Mark Stanly Banghulot, Romeo Baluran, Rudy Benega, Teody Maghuyop, and Adam Paulin— were found guilty of kidnapping for ransom with homicide and sentenced to reclusion perpetua with no eligibility for parole.
Banghulot was a business partner of Saribong, a former official of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) who was found dead despite the payment of PHP800,000 by his family to his abductors, who had originally demanded PHP40 million in ransom.
Saribong’s driver, Jimmy Palermo, was also gunned down during the kidnapping at Golden Meadows Subdivision in Brgy. Mayamot, a stone’s throw away from the victim’s house.
Aside from imprisonment, the court also ordered the accused to pay PHP100,000 to Saribong’s heirs as civil indemnity and PHP890,000 as actual damages.
Deputy State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas led the prosecution.
“This conviction serves as a stern warning to criminal elements who believe they can outrun the law,” Torrevillas said.
She said the DOJ remains steadfast in its mandate to uphold the rule of law and “ensure that no offender regardless of how long they remain at large or how complex their crimes, is beyond the reach of justice.” (PNA)
