Cops in Pasay kidnap-slay used 'questionable' cars

MANILA, Philippines - Several vehicles used by Quezon City policemen for an operation in Pasay City last month have no records or have license plates issued to other cars, investigators said yesterday.

The Pasay City police are checking whether the “questionable” vehicles were used in the kidnap try on Indian national Manjinder “James” Kumar on Dec. 20, 2010 and the kidnapping and murder of his friends, Ferdinand Ret and Andy Bryan Ngie.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Nicanor Bartolome said investigators are looking into this angle.

“Once we establish the presence of the said vehicles at the site where the armed suspects tried to snatch Kumar then it would surely strengthen our case against those charged,” he said.

The Pasay City police filed two counts of kidnapping with murder and other charges against Chief Inspector Edwin Faycho, head of the anti-drug unit of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), two other policemen, a civilian and four Indian nationals for the death of Ret and Ngie, and the wounding of Kumar and Senior Inspector Renato Apolinario, who came to Kumar’s aid.

Bartolome has ordered the fasttracking of summary dismissal proceedings against Faycho and the two policemen, who insist they are not involved in the kidnap attempt on Kumar.

Records obtained by The STAR show that Faycho coordinated last Dec. 20 not only with the Southern Police District (SPD) but also with the QCPD, Manila Police District (MPD) and the Northern Police District (NPD) for a surveillance and test buy operation.

Faycho signed the one-page coordination document in behalf of Senior Superintendent Benjamin Magalong, QCPD deputy district director.

Faycho listed the 10 vehicles involved in the operation as a silver Toyota Altis (XTR-677), light blue Toyota Vios (for registration TC 9143), beige Isuzu Trooper (GSW-817), beige Isuzu Trooper (WRG-828),  silver Mitsubishi Adventure (XGL-418),  blue Honda Civic (UKM-261), brown Toyota Innova (PUI-258), gray Yamaha MC (2593 TH), black Yamaha MC (9560 TK) and green Isuzu Crosswind (XBC-171).

Bartolome explained that in some cases, police officers list a number of vehicles in their coordination form but this “doesn’t mean that all of them were used in an operation.”

There are some instances that the vehicles listed would not be used at all or other cars would be added, depending on the gravity of the police operation, he said.

Bartolome said they are checking all angles in the Kumar case “and this (use of questionable vehicles) is just one of them.”

Land Transportation Office (LTO) records show that the light blue Vios (TC 9143) and the green Crosswind (XBC-171) have no records on file.

The LTO said the license plate of the silver Toyota Altis was issued to a crimson Toyota Revo owned by Julieta Mirador.

The license plate of a beige Isuzu Trooper (GSW-817) is registered to the same vehicle but the car was described to be “satin silver” in color and owned by Eduardo Huan of Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

The LTO added that the license plate of the beige Isuzu Trooper (WRG-828) is for a green Nissan Exalta, whose registered owner is Julius Pochito Minas.

The license plate of a silver Mitsubishi Adventure (XGL-418) is registered to the same vehicle but colored gold and owned by Cecil Collado.

The license plate of the brown Toyota Innova (PUI-258) is for the same vehicle but colored “bronze mica metallic” and registered to Guia Castro of BF Homes, Parañaque City.

The gray and black motorcycles were registered to Wilkin John Potestades and Dennis Oliver, respectively.

The SPD is still checking whether the cars used by Faycho and his men are stolen or recovered vehicles.

“They are up to something nasty because they are using questionable vehicles. We are now determining whether the vehicles were spotted in the area where an attempt to kidnap Kumar was staged,” said an SPD police official who requested anonymity.