Five nabbed for Betty Chua-Sy’s kidnap-slay

Five suspected members of the Waray-Waray group implicated in the kidnap-slaying of Coca-Cola executive Betty Chua-Sy were arrested in a series of police operations in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

President Arroyo led the presentation of the suspects and commended the key operatives of the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER) and the Philippine National Police-Intelligence Group (PNP-IG) who arrested the gang members.

"I am sure that this is something that will make many people feel that justice is being done somehow because this is a group that has victimized many over the years," President Arroyo said.

Aside from the Chua-Sy case, the Waray-Waray group was also behind 18 other kidnap-for-ransom cases in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon (CALABARZON), the Bicol reagion and Eastern Visayas.

Chief Superintendent Ismael Rafanan, director of the PNP-IG identified the suspects as Hector Cornista, 37, the alleged leader of the group; Dominador Cornista, alias Oming, the chief planner; Renato Superable, 28, alias Lupin; Alvin Cornista-Labra, 22; and Rogelio Mendoza.

"The suspects were arrested at around 1:15 a.m. last Saturday in separate raids in Antipolo, Rizal, Karuhatan, Valenzuela, Novaliches in Quezon City, Tanauan in Batangas and San Francisco in Quezon province," Rafanan said.

The arrests were made by virtue of warrants of arrest issued by two different judges from Quezon City and Leyte. Hector Cornista carries a P.5-million reward on his head while Superable, the gunman in Chua-Sy‘s slay, has a P1 million price tag.

The government has acknowledged that kidnapping for ransom has become one of the country’s leading problems, scaring away potential investors in Manila and in nearby areas.

The suspects were behind the abduction and killing of Chua-Sy, 31, on Nov. 17, 2003. The victim was abducted in Quezon City and her body, wrapped in a garbage bag, was dumped in a vacant lot in Parañaque City.

"Based on investigation it was Superable who shot Chua-Sy," Rafanan disclosed.

The group was also allegedly responsible for the kidnap and murder of Arturo Pecunes, owner/operator of Dine-N-Saur chain of restaurant last July in Angono, Rizal. Picones was executed even after the victim’s family had paid a still undetermined amount of ransom.

They were also behind the kidnapping for ransom of Antonio Tanchay in 2002, William Uy, Wilbert Uy, Vicente Ty, Daniel Ong, Edwin Tan, Borromeo Ang, Archangel Lim, Johhny Corpuz, Mike Batuigas, Toch Macatangay, Gelina Dy, and Erwin Manikis all in 2003, Josephine Chua in 2004, and Carrie Choa in 2005.

Anti-crime groups, including the Citizens’ Actions Against Crime (CAAC) commended the police for their persistence and efforts that led to the arrest of the suspects. — With Aurea Calica, Jerry Botial, AFP