Chief Superintendent Jesus Versoza, Calabarzon police director, said the policemen found kidnap victim Sarbjit Raj Singh, 27, of Lucban, Quezon, inside a stolen vehicle where his abductors abandoned him in Barangay Bagong Pook.
The police identified the slain suspect as Wilfredo Reyes, 30, believed to be a member of a kidnap-for-ransom gang based in Quezon.
Verzosa said two armed men seized Singh near a public market in Barangay Poblacion in Candelaria, Quezon at about 12:30 p.m. on Thursday and dragged inside a stolen blue Toyota Vios with license plate VDA 226.
Prior to the rescue, Superintendent Arcadio Mission, Rosario police chief, and his men received a phone call from PO2 Louie de Villa about car thieves heading toward Rosario town.
Mission immediately formed two five-man teams and set up checkpoints at all possible exits of the car thieves in the town.
After an hour, the police spotted the stolen vehicle in Sitio Cupi.
Upon seeing the lawmen, the car thieves opened fire, triggering a 10-minute firefight, which resulted in the rescue of Singh and the killing of Reyes. – With Arnell Ozaeta and Cecille Suerte Felipe