NPD director Senior Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr. identified the suspects a Norodin Odin, 23, Bencer Welao, 19, Jeffrey Maragiar, 19, and Berna Edres, 20, all natives of Maguindanao and of Sitio Malabo, Barangay Maysan, Valenzuela City.
At around 7 a.m. last April 9, Johaira Tucalu, 26, of Dasmarinas, Cavite and Norfia Salie, 23, of North Fairview, Quezon City, both small-time traders from Marawi City, were walking along Roxas Boulevard in Parañaque City near McDonald’s when they were snatched by at least five armed men.
Two of the suspects, wearing police uniforms, approached the victims and, at gunpoint, dragged and forced them inside a taxi.
Three other suspects, who served as lookouts, boarded a separate vehicle and headed to their safehouse in Barangay Malinta, Valenzuela City.
That same night, the suspects transferred the victims to another safehouse on Cantillon street, Sitio Malabo, Barangay Maysan, where the kidnappers reportedly called the victims’ relatives and demanded P70,000 for their release.
The following day, the kidnappers threatened to kill the victims after their relatives failed to deliver the ransom.
Police got a big break when a concerned citizen reported the presence of suspicious persons in the neighborhood.
A surveillance operation was immediately conducted. At around 6 a.m. Sunday, a NPD team led by city police chief Superintendent Jose Marcelo and Inspector Salvador de la Cruz, swooped down on the safehouse, arrested the four suspects and rescued the two women. – Pete Laude, Christina Mendez