Ex-Cavite vice mayor, others face kidnap, murder charges

MANILA, Philippines – A former Cavite town vice mayor, a police official and two others were charged with the kidnapping and murder of a businessman and his driver before the Department of Justice yesterday.

The inquest was done at Camp Crame in Quezon City, where the suspects are detained.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina, Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER) chief, said police have enough evidence to link former Dasmariñas, Cavite vice mayor Victor Carungcong, 50; Special Action Force training director Chief Inspector Exequiel Cautiver, 38; Alejandrito Entolizo Jr., 52; and pedicab driver Gary Pateo to last month’s kidnapping and murder of retired pilot Demosthenes Cañete, 67, and his driver Allan Garay, 26.

“A dispute over control of a family-owned business enterprise in Cavite is eyed by police investigators as the strongest motive behind the recent kidnapping and murder of a retired pilot and his driver,” he said.

Espina said Carungcong masterminded Cañete’s kidnapping and murder to wrest control of the family-owned emission test center and drug diagnostics clinic from his brother-in-law.

“These facts establish the strongest motive of Carungcong to get Cañete out of his way,” he said.

Last June 27, Cañete and his driver failed to return home after visiting his business outlet at the Land Transportation Office compound in Sabang, Dasmariñas in Cavite, Espina said.

Later that day, Cañete’s wife received a call from an unidentified man demanding P20 million for the freedom of the two.

After a series of negotiations, the kidnappers agreed to lower the ransom to P973,000, and a payoff was arranged on July 4 at 4:30 a.m. in Malibay, Pasay City.

Unknown to the suspects, Cañete’s family sought the assistance of the PACER, which monitored  the payoff and arrested Entolizo and Pateo as they picked up the ransom.

Entolizo and Pateo admitted during investigation that they were acting on orders of Cautiver.

In coordination with SAF director Chief Superintendent Leocadio Santiago Jr., Cautiver was arrested a few hours after Entolizo and Pateo were nabbed.

During interrogation, Cautiver confessed to investigators that Carungcong planned the kidnapping.

Police said the body of Cañete was found at the Porac Megadike area in Pampanga last July 2.

However, it was only on July 7 that the remains were identified as that of Cañete.

Garay’s body is still missing despite Cautiver’s admission that he was killed last June 27, the night of the kidnapping.

Deputy Director General  Jesus Verzosa, PNP deputy chief for administration, said 68 firearms, assorted ammunition and gun accessories were seized from the home of another suspect, Mariano de Leon Jr. alias Spider, in Bayan Luma, Imus, Cavite.

De Leon and a certain Police Officer 1 Dondon Abogado are now the subject of a massive police manhunt, he added.