Kidnapped trader found dead in Rizal

A businessman, who was kidnapped in Binangonan, Rizal last May 3, was found dead in nearby Angono town last Friday, his body already decomposing, even after his family had paid a ransom of P450,000.

The body of Arturo Picones, 58, was found by a resident, a certain Rudy Gatdula, in a bamboo plantation in Sitio Bisakol, Barangay San Isidro in Angono at about 10 a.m. last Friday.

Picones, owner of the Dine-a-Sour restaurant in Binangonan and a 10-door apartment in Taytay town, was still in handcuffs.

Senior Superintendent Leocadio Santiago, Rizal police director, said Picones was identified through his dentures.

Investigation showed that Picones was abducted by three armed men in front of his restaurant along the Manila East Road in Barangay Pag-asa in Binangonan at about 2:30 a.m. last May 3.

Picones’ kidnappers contacted his family and initially demanded a P5-million ransom, a police source told The STAR.

However, after a series of negotiations, the kidnappers agreed to lower the ransom to P450,000. Police do not how the payoff was made.

However, the police are baffled why the kidnappers failed to release Picones.

The Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER), the anti-kidnapping unit of the Philippine National Police, is now handling the case, the source said.

When the victim’s body was discovered, Santiago said scene of the crime operatives found no identifying marks on his body.

He said Picones’ family sought his assistance and the victim’s dentist was asked to identify him.

"The dentist checked the dentures and (said) that it was the one she had specifically made for Picones," he said.

Picones said the victim’s family has not been cooperating in the police investigation.

"So far, wala kaming (we do not have any) feedback because the family refused to cooperate with us," said Santiago. "We do not know whether the Picones family is talking with other police units."

Santiago refused to say if the victim’s family has coordinated with PACER agents.

Nevertheless, Santiago said they are looking for witnesses who could shed light on the kidnap-slaying.

"We are talking with his neighbors to establish how he was abducted," he said, adding that Picones was a well-known figure in Binangonan.

"We will investigate whether he had known enemies," he said.