Superintendent Dindo Espina, Pampanga police director, identified the alleged brains as Inspector Jose Mari Basa, who was assigned to the Mabalacat police about four months ago.
His accomplices, Angeles City policeman PO2 Darwin David and their "asset" Robert Canda, were arrested by regional police intelligence agents during the foiled payoff at a pizza parlor in Angeles City.
"I have ordered an intensive manhunt for Basa. We cannot allow scalawags to remain and smear our organization," Espina said.
Reports said the suspects abducted Randy Ocampo, a resident of Barangay Camachile here, between 1 and 2 a.m. the other day. The suspects immediately got in touch with Ocampo’s wife, Aiza, who, in turn, lost no time in seeking police assistance.
At about 7 a.m., Espina said Canda sent a text message to Ocampo’s brother-in-law, Miller Capil, to demand a P100,000 ransom.
Capil negotiated with Basa by cellphone to lower the ransom. Basa acceded, reducing it to P40,000 which Capil was to bring to a pizza parlor in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City.
Alerted about this, Espina instructed a police team headed by Senior Superintendent Nicanor Targa to conduct an entrapment.
Canda was subsequently caught in the act of receiving the money. He tagged David as an accomplice and the latter was eventually arrested.
Both Canda and David confessed that Basa masterminded the abduction, and told probers that after he was abducted, Ocampo was forced to buy illegal drugs in Barangay Dau in Mabalacat before he was brought to a farm in Barangay San Pedro in Magalang town.
Targa’s team rushed to the farm but did not find Basa and Ocampo there. Basa, however, released Ocampo at about 12:30 p.m. and then went into hiding.
Ocampo positively identified Canda and David as among his three abductors.
Police filed charges of kidnapping for ransom yesterday against the three suspects with the prosecutor’s office in San Fernando City.
Senior Superintendent Renato Soria, Mabalacat police chief, said Basa used to belong to the Angeles City police but was transferred to Aurora due to his "bad record."
"What I heard is that Basa had been known for his notorious ways even before he was transferred to my town a few months ago. I was reluctant to admit him, but there was an order for his transfer from Aurora to Mabalacat," he said.
Soria admitted that since Basa was transferred here four months ago, he had been getting negative feedback about Basa’s activities in this town.
"I have never been short of warning him to reform," he said.
Espina said the police would secure Ocampo and his family until Basa is arrested. — With Ric Sapnu