WPD cop eyed in Malabon kidnap

A woman witness pointed to a supposedly jailed Western Police District (WPD) policeman as one of at least three unidentified armed men in police uniform who reportedly kidnapped a veterinary student last Thursday in Malabon City.

As this developed, The STAR learned yesterday that another Filipino-Chinese businessman was reportedly snatched by five heavily armed men, also in police uniform, a few hours after Gregorio Araneta University Foundation sophomore Veterinary Medicine student Niño Lorenzo Tobiano was abducted in Barangay Potrero, Malabon.

Intelligence sources said Johnny Yu, 50, a rice trader of 47 Mabolo street, Barangay Potrero, was snatched in front of his store on Mabolo street corner Gov. Pascual Avenue at around 7:45 p.m. Thursday.

The suspects, reportedly armed with three M-16 rifles, a shotgun, and a 9 mm pistol, escaped with the victim aboard a maroon Honda Civic with plate number UKE-540.

Yu’s abduction, sources said, was witnessed by barangay kagawads Rey Olarte and Boy de Guzman, who reported the incident to the police. Sources added that the authorities find it hard to get more information about Yu’s kidnapping as his family refuses to cooperate with the police.

On the other hand, Lusviminda Pascua, 33, of Bagong Lote street, Barangay Potrero Malabon, through a police "rogues gallery," a file of photos of criminals, pointed to one PO1 Francis Bacunawa, a WPD operative jailed for robbery cases, as "similar and almost the same person" who abducted Tobiano.

Tobiano, 19, who reportedly comes from a wealthy family in Project 7, Quezon City, was on board his maroon Honda Civic (UHD-439) along Bagong Lote street corner Circumferential Road, Malabon at around 12:45 p.m. Thursday when a Toyota Corolla without license plates and a Mitsubishi Lancer (BBY-851) reportedly blocked his path.

The suspects, one of them armed with a caliber .45 pistol, reportedly forced Tobiano out of his car.

The Malabon police, however, said yesterday that it did not give weight to Pascua’s testimony after she allegedly retracted it.

"We can no longer proceed with our investigation on Bacunawa for our witness backed off," Superintendent Ernesto Fojas, Malabon police chief, said.

Fojas added that a verification he made at the Manila City Jail showed that Bacunawa, who is facing six counts of robbery cases, was never out of jail on Aug. 2. Fojas said Inspector Darwin Aquino, escort officer of the Manila City Jail, confirmed it.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) took over Tobiano’s case from the Malabon police while Yu’s abduction is now being handled by the Intelligence Group (IG), both based in Camp Crame.