5 kidnap suspects nabbed in Taguig

Five suspected kidnappers believed to be behind the abduction and murder of a Filipino-Chinese trader, whose body was dug up in Batangas, were arrested by police anti-kidnapping elements last Friday in Taguig, Metro Manila.

Arrested during a raid at Sitio Tartaira, Barangay Palingon, Taguig were Armando Dionaldo, 38; Renato Dionaldo, 36; Virgilio Varona, 34 and Mariano Garegis, 33, a dismissed member of the Pasay City police force.

Senior Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman, said the arrest of the suspects was made possible through the information provided by gang member Rodolfo Lorido to the agents of the PNP-Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER) .

The suspects were tagged by several witnesses as those behind the abduction and murder of Edwin Navarro, owner of the Caloocan City’s Health Wealth Skin and Body Care gymnasium located on Cavite street, Barangay Maypajo last May 16.

Four days after the abduction, Navarro was killed and his body was buried in a shallow grave in Laurel, Batangas, where it was later recovered by the local police.

Navarro was killed despite payment by his family of P130,000 in ransom.

Lorido, who was serving as a janitor at Navarro’s health club, initially broke down during police interrogation on his participation in the abduction, which took place in front of the establishment in the morning of May 16.

He later led authorities to their hideout in Taguig which was raided by joint elements of PACER, the Military Intelligence Group-15 (MILG-15) and the Anti-Crime Task Force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Recovered from the suspects were a caliber .45 pistol; three magazines for a caliber .45; two cell phones and a red Mitsubishi Lancer, the vehicle identified by several witnesses as the one used in another kidnapping last Jan. 7 in Quezon City.

Bataoil said the suspects have been identified as members of the Hermano-Permentera kidnap-for-ransom group operating in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Bataoil added the arrest of the suspects has cut down the PNP’s target of active kidnapping-for-ransom group operating in Metro Manila and nearby environs to only five from the original 20 active groups listed as top priority targets in the PNP’s anti-kidnapping drive.