By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – Law enforcers on Tuesday successfully rescued a kidnapped businessman and arrested three of his alleged abductors, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced on Wednesday.
At a press briefing in Camp Crame, Brig. Gen. Glicerio Cansilao Jr., chief of the PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group, said the victim is now “safe and united with his family.”
According to him, the family contacted the police after the victim, who was last seen in Mandaluyong City, failed to return home on Feb. 12 and could not be contacted.
He added that the suspects demanded PHP4 million in exchange for the victim’s freedom.
Investigators were able to trace the suspects through the PHP250,000 in digital payments the family sent as initial payments.
“Our operatives had a chance to locate the location of the victim, and when our operatives got it and made sure that it was safe, they made the arrest,” Cansilao said.
He added that some suspects remain at large.
“One of our at-large suspects is, we found out, is the leader in this incident,” he said.
Binondo ‘chop-chop’ case
Meanwhile, in the same briefing, Pasay City Police chief, Col. Joselito De Sesto, said a Chinese national was arrested while his compatriot remained at large in connection with a dismembered body found inside a black trash bag stuffed inside a drum in Binondo, Manila on Feb. 15.
He said investigators were able to locate the suspects after they traced the drum to a condominium unit in Pasay City through CCTV footage and intelligence operations.
He added that a check on the suspects’ condominium unit revealed blood stains.
“Talagang nandoon pa ‘yung bloody stains. Yung unan, ang daming dugo. At saka yung mop, mayroon pang dugo. Talagang nilinis (The bloody stains are still there. The pillows still have a lot of blood, as well as the mop. They really were trying to clean up the scene),” he said.
De Sesto said investigators have yet to ascertain how long both Chinese suspects had been in the country, whether the killing was related to a purported debt the victim had, and who the principal suspect is. (PNA)
