2 men sentenced to life imprisonment

MANILA, Philippines - Two men were recently convicted of two counts of kidnap-for-ransom and given each two life sentences (reclusion perpetua) by the Manila Regional Trial Court.

The two accused – Jaybee Sebastian, alias Palos and alias Nino; and Joel Dungo, alias Jojo, were also convicted of one count of carnapping and sentenced each from 17 years and four months to 20 years imprisonment. The two were engaged in business with the victims.

In his 14-page decision, promulgated April 7, 2009, Judge Reynaldo Alhambra, of the Manila RTC Branch 53, also imposed penalties of a total of P1.7 million each to be paid to their victim Elmer Chan, and P100,000 each to the other victim, Rolando Estrella.

Chan is a businessman engaged in buy and sell of mushrooms, plastics computer chips, scrap and others, while the other, Estrella, is his sales agent in the scrap business. Chan testified that on July 3, 2001, around 9:30 a.m., while having breakfast, he received a phone call from Dungo, a driver of his mother-in-law. Chan’s mother-in-law owns the company Aldeford International which he manages.

Chan was invited by Dungo to his place at Yakal Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila to talk. He was accompanied by Estrella.

Chan and Estrella went to Dungo’s place at around 12:30 p.m. the same day. Upon alighting from their car, a Nissan Cefiro, three men — one of whom was suspect Sebastian and two still unidentified suspects approached them and introduced themselves as policemen. The suspects were armed with handguns.

The suspects took their car and handcuffed the two victims.

Brought to Pampanga

The victims told authorities they passed through the North Diversion Road and exited at Sta. Rita at around 2:30 p.m.

 The two unidentified suspects were only known as a certain “Mimoy” and “Bong Negro.” There were two other suspects in the safehouse, who were also unidentified. These four suspects remain at large.

They then went to a house somewhere in Barangay Tulaok, San Simon, Pampanga, in a place where there was a river.

The two victims were placed inside a three-meter by four-meter room. They were kept there for two days, after which, they were transferred to another safehouse, and kept for another two days. On the fourth day, the two victims escaped and ran towards the highway where there were tricycles. The two victims boarded a tricycle.

The two were brought to Apalit, Pampanga where they boarded an FX cab to Manila. The two reached Chan’s house located at 1003 Galeria de Binondo, Manila, at around 1 a.m., of July 7.

Earlier, when the two victims went missing, Chan’s wife Elizabeth already sought for help from the National Bureau of Investigation.