Carnapping complaint filed vs persons tagged in Korean kidnap, slay

CEBU, Philippines - A carnapping complaint was filed against two persons tagged in the kidnap-slay of two Korean nationals found charred inside a burned vehicle in the mountain barangay of Sabang, Danao City, last November.

 The complaint against Warren Sia, a car dealer from Talisay City, and his caretaker, Andriana Ardiente, was filed by the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Branch at the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office last week.

 Sr. Insp. Ramil Morpos, case investigator, said that Sia was linked in case based on the sworn affidavits of two witnesses and on circumstantial evidence stating that he was the last person seen talking to the victims before they were missing last November 12. Both victims were then found inside a smoking vehicle.

 Police believed that the crime was made by, more or less, five people. Morpos, however, refused to name the victims and witnesses for security reasons. He added that families of the victims have executed affidavits for the filing of the case.

 â€œWe are 70 to 80 percent na sa kaso,” he told The FREEMAN, adding that they could not file murder charges against the suspects, as of the present, as they are still in search for enough evidence.

 The Special Investigation Task Group conducted a search at the warehouse owned by Sia in Barangay Pakigne, Minglanilla, where they seized a Mitsubishi Lancer. The said vehicle was owned by one of the witnesses and was reportedly borrowed from her by the victims with the purpose of dealing it. However, the vehicle was no longer returned.

 Morpos said that the owner of the Mitsubishi Lancer filed a motion to Regional Trial Court Judge Wilfredo Navarro, Branch 19, Cebu City, through her lawyer, Atty. Enrique Lacerna.

 The motion expresses her desire for the release of the vehicle. Police also recovered a Kia Sorento without proper documents. Both vehicles are now in the custody of the Cebu Provincial Police Office.

 Morpos explained that the Hyundai Sta. Fe vehicle, where the two charred bodies were found, was also bought from one of the witnesses. However, its registration was not yet transferred as it was not yet fully paid.

 Both witnesses are engaged in a car-dealing business, and the two victims acted as middlemen in their transactions.

 Sia’s name popped up in the investigation of the SITG and is said to be involved in dealing of surplus cars. In fact, the Highway Patrol group identifies him.

 Korean consul and police attaché Park Young Jeung has been coordinating with the police from time to time for updates regarding the case.

“We consider the carnapping case [as] cleared while the murder case remains unsolved,” Morpos said. — (FREEMAN)