Suspect in ’97 General Santos kidnap surrenders

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — One of the prime suspects in the 1997 abduction of a businesswoman here surrendered to police authorities yesterday.

Chief Superintendent Jose Dalumpines, Central Mindanao police director, said 33-year-old Tandukan Indo Andal, alias Commander Tony, tagged as one of the kidnappers of Pelsy Yaphockun, gave himself up to Superintendent Willie Dangane, Sarangani police chief.

A reward of P300,000 had been offered for Andal’s arrest.

Yaphockun, wife of hardware owner and contractor Manuel Yaphockun, was abducted while jogging near their house at the posh Gonzales Subdivision and later brought to the hinterlands of Tiboli and Polomolok towns in South Cotabato.

She was freed a few days later. It was not clear, however, if her family paid ransom for her release.

Andal, a Maguindanaoan, told The STAR that his only participation in the abduction was to drive a 10-wheeler truck for his five cohorts, whom he identified only as Uling, Maguid, Tatar, Tony and Ronnie, from this city to an asparagus plantation in Barangay Bentung, Polomolok town.

He told police he was angry because the group only gave him P200. He said he no longer saw them since them.

Andal said he decided to surrender when he saw his face on a poster of most wanted persons in Tacurong City.

Dangane, however, told reporters that Andal was actually forced to yield because he was already being hunted down in Bo. Blaan, Barangay Apopong here.