DOJ files charges vs kidnappers of Chinese businessman

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed kidnapping and robbery charges against seven men who posed as agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and abducted a Chinese businessman in Manila in November 2003.

State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco filed the case with the Manila City Regional Trial Court (MCRTC) last Thursday against Reynan Manzanero, 35; Mario Tanyag, 47; Angelito Evangelista, 26; brother Mario, Arthur Fajardo, and a certain Bobby Patrick, Rey and Marlon. All are residents of Laguna.

Velasco filed separate cases of robbery against the suspects, who allegedly demanded $3 million from the family of the kidnap victim.

Court records showed that at 10:30 p.m. of Nov. 23, 2003, 54-year-old businessman Tony Chua, a resident of Balintawak, Quezon City, was stepping out of the Metropolitan Building on Mabini street in Malate, Manila toward his parked Honda CRV, when three men accosted him.

Introducing themselves as NBI agents, the three men escorted him toward a waiting dark blue Mitsubishi L-300 van (DJD-784).

They pushed Chua into the van and tied him up. The businessman was then taken to a safehouse in Barangay Santol, Tanauan, Batangas.

The kidnappers took his valuables, including a wristwatch, ring and wallet. They also asked Chua to give them name of his wife and relatives and their contact numbers.

The suspects made contact with the family the following day.

At 10:30 a.m., they demanded $3 million from Chua’s sister Cynthia. The family offered P2.7 million, which the kidnappers rejected.

Two weeks later, they transferred Chua to another hiding place in Barangay Pansol, Laguna, before returning to the house of suspect Fajardo in Barangay Santol.

At noon of Dec. 20, 2003, Chua removed his blindfold and saw an opportunity to escape. While his guards were asleep, Chua went out of the house and ran until he reached the main road, where he asked a passerby to bring him to the barangay captain.

He was later taken to a bus bound for Metro Manila. Chua called up his family to inform them of his escape when he reached Cubao in Quezon City at 2:40 p.m.

The following day, elements of the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER) conducted a backtracking investigation and found the safehouse in Barangay Santol.

On Jan. 9, 2004, Manzanero, Tanyag and Angelito Evangelista voluntarily surrendered to PACER.