NBI nabs 3 suspected kidnappers

Three alleged members of a kidnapping group operating in Metro Manila have been apprehended by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in separate operations in Pasig City and Cavite.

NBI Acting Director Nestor Mantaring identified the suspects as Andres Lucero Jr., 35; Fromencio Enacmal, 27, both residents of Barangay Rosario, Pasig City; and Gualberto Castillaja, 33, of Paliparan, Dasmariñas Cavite.

All are natives of Leyte province.

The suspects are believed to be remnants of the Calvin Lagado-Noel Enacmal Waray-Waray kidnap syndicate responsible for a string of abductions.

They allegedly abducted Wilbert Uy and a certain Mr. Dy in Quezon City and a Mr. Ty, another Filipino-Chinese, who was taken near the Binondo Church in Manila.

Regional Director Ruel Lasala, of the NBI-National Capital Region (NCR), said this was a follow-up operation in their crackdown on the Waray-Waray group. They earlier arrested Calvin Lagado and another KFR gang leader Rogelio Morfe and 15 of his followers.

It was Morfe who revealed the identity of the three suspects. During a tactical interrogation, he admitted that Lucero was the group’s driver while Fromencio and Castillaja kept watch on their victims.

The group is also known to have been involved in armed robbery, often hitting pawnshop and payroll messengers.

"The Calvin Lagado Waray-Waray group is said to be the most brazen KFR group. They may not possess fancy communication equipment or vehicles, but whatever gadgets they lacked, they made up for their brazenness," Lasala said.

Although many of the group’s leaders and comrades have been arrested, the group continues to operate by forming splinter groups.

When the NBI learned that they were planning to kidnap another Filipino-Chinese national, agents used standing arrest warrants to capture them. They were arrested near their houses last June 1 and 19.

"We did not immediately release the information regarding their arrests because we were still doing a follow-up investigation against another leader Noel Enacmal. He is a brother of Fromencio," Lasala said.

NBI-NCR Executive Officer Ferdinand Lavin said he has invited others who have been victimized by the group to come forward.