Cavite police director Senior Superintendent Robert Rosales identified the suspects as Police Officer 2 Larry Agui, PO1 Lito Liao and PO1 Benjamin del Rosario, all members of the Cavite police criminal investigation group.
Rosales said the three were arrested at a police checkpoint in Barangay Molino in Bacoor town but two of their civilian accomplices, identified only as Boyong and Bernie, remain at large and are now being tracked down by the police.
Rosales identified the victim as Akihiro Mamiya, 42, a promotion manager, and his wife Eliza, 32, of Barangay Yakal in Silang.
The Mamiyas were on board their white Mitsubishi Galant Super Saloon with license plates TFC-361 when they were flagged down by the suspects at Barangay Bulihan, also in Silang.
According to police investigation, the suspects introduced themselves as policemen, "arrested" the victims and forcibly boarded the victims’ vehicle.
Once they were on board the Mamiyas’ vehicle, they divested the couple of their belongings and demanded payment of P500,000 in exchange for their liberty, Rosales said.
But unknown to the suspects, Rosales said, witnesses reported the incident to the police, who immediately launched a province-wide dragnet operation.
Policemen manning the checkpoint at the Molino Kababayan Center, under Inspector Francisco Moral Jr., spotted the Mamiyas’ vehicle at the Salawaq-Molino Road at about 8:30 p.m.
The vehicle was blocked at the checkpoint and the victims were rescued unharmed.
Confiscated from the arrested policemen were two 9 mm. Berreta pistols, three 9 mm. magazines, and a loaded caliber .45 automatic.
Rosales said appropriate charges are now being readied against the three arrested suspects, who had just been reassigned from the Northern Police District.
Southern Tagalog police director Chief Superintendent Enrique Galang, who presented the suspects to the media, said the arrest was part of his campaign to rid the regional police force of misfits.