Police file charges vs abductors of 3 women

DAVAO CITY — Police are set to file kidnapping charges today against the 15 arrested suspects in the recent abduction of three women, one of them a daughter of a local vehicle manufacturer.

The victims — 25-year-old Ma. Cecilia Bonifacio, daughter of the owners of Bonifacio Motors Inc.; Fe Jayno and her aunt, Norma Jayno — were snatched last Jan. 3 at the Sta. Ana wharf here.

They were rescued five days later by a joint police-military team in Barangay Lapulabao, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur.

Chief Superintendent Paul Alex Monteagudo, Southern Mindanao chief of the Anti-Kidnapping Task Force, said the charges will be filed with the city prosecutor’s office.

"We have been preparing the documents for the filing of the charges against the suspects. It took us a long time because there are so many of them. They are 15," Monteagudo said.

The suspects are Salim Mama, Mohamad Omar, Ibrahim Dulay, Grace Dulay, Geraldine Tagalog, Nor Salam Solaiman, Lilim Silva, Asgar Suat, Rush Bugso, Norgalie Soliman, Gerry Saligan, Sulaiman Bugso, Gabon Buat, Nurhan Buat and Alih Buat.

The suspects have pointed to Gerry Saligan, also known as Kihalika Kadil Kalingin, as their mastermind.

The charge sheet will include Faisal Marohombasar as the group’s satellite leader.

Charges of illegal possession of firearms will also be filed against them. Besides firearms, the suspects also yielded cellular phones.

Monteagudo said other members of the kidnapping group could fall as follow-up operations against them continue.

"There are still others out there. Our follow-up operations are ongoing and we hope to arrest more suspects soon," he said.