7 get death for trader's kidnap

For kidnapping a businessman in Makati City five years ago, seven kidnappers were meted the death penalty yesterday by the Antipolo City Regional Trial Court (RTC).

The convicts — Joseph Castillo, Ciriaco Hutalla Jr., Raul Merjudio, Rolly Hutalla, Jessie Costales, Ezer Lavilla and Renato Salatan, stood erect and were silent when the clerk of court read the 12-page decision of Judge Francisco Querrubin, of the Antipolo City RTC Branch 74.

Judge Querrubin issued a warrant of arrest against the group’s alleged mastermind, businessman John Kenneth Coyukiat, alias John Kenneth Coyukiat Ongpac, who remained at large.

Castillo tried a last ditch effort to evade severe punishment by volunteering to turn state witness but Judge Querrubin turned down the request.

"His (Castillo) request for state witness status was denied by the previous judge because his guilt is equal with the other co-accused," said Querrubin.

Earlier, Judge Mauricio Rivera of RTC Branch 73 ruled that Castillo cannot turn state witness because his participation in the kidnapping of Joseph Uy on Feb. 1, 2000 in Makati City, was equal with his co-accused.

Rivera inhibited himself on the case, which was raffled off to Querrubin’s sala.

However, Querrubin dismissed the illegal possession of firearms charges against the seven convicts.

"Since kidnapping for ransom was committed in this case, the accused can no longer be held liable for illegal possession of firearms," Querrubin said in his decision.

During the hearing of the case, Castillo testified that he met with his co-accused in Carmona, Cavite to plan the kidnapping of Uy.

Querrubin maintained that even without Castillo’s testimony, the case against the seven convicts are airtight. He said the positive identification of the convicts by Uy and the testimonies of the arresting officers are enough to hold them liable for the crime of kidnapping. Court records show that Uy was forcibly taken by the group while he was walking toward his car after having a haircut in Makati City five years ago. Witnesses said Uy was dragged to a waiting car whose license plate was jotted down by an alert security guard.

The kidnappers then drove to the JC compound in Carmona, Cavite, which was owned by Coyukiat. The following day, the kidnappes took Uy to their safehouse in Antipolo City and demanded P50 million from his family.

However, elements of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF), headed by Senior Superintendent Cesar Mancao rescued Uy from a safehouse at the Lores Country Homes in Barangay Dalig, Antipolo City last Feb. 3 before the victim’s family could deliver the ransom money.

PAOCTF agents arrested the three other suspects inside the JC compound in Cavite.