Cops nab 3 suspects in kidnap of Pangasinan mayor's grandson

MANGALDAN, Pangasinan , Philippines  – Combined elements of police arrested three suspects, one of them a dismissed policeman, who were behind the kidnapping of the eight-year-old grandson of the mayor here and demanded a ransom amounting to P3 million.

In a press conference yesterday at the Ma­ngaldan Police Station, Mayor Herminio Romero said the safe release of his grandson, Cedric Romero, dawn of Saturday, was an answered prayer. “I thanked God who made it possible, the competent teams and the media who did not divulge what they knew,” Romero said.

Cedric was rescued by joint elements from the Presidential Anti-Crime and Emergency Response, Provincial Intelligence Branch, Provincial Investigation and Detection Management Branch and the Special Operations Group of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office.

Chief Superintendent Ramon Gatan, police regional director and Senior Superintendent Percival Barba, Pangasinan police director identified the arrested suspects as ex-PO1 Jessie Cervas Aquino, said to be the leader of the group, Oscar Tiosen who acted as the group’s negotiator and Russelito Ydia, personal driver of the mayor.

The mayor repeatedly commended the efficient responding teams, the media for their cooperation in responding to the request of the victim’s family for news blackout and the prayer brigade of the mayor led by five priests who prayed altogether even at midnight for the safe release of the child. He did not disclose the exact amount he gave to the kidnappers as the one who handled the turn over of the money was his son.

Cedric was kidnapped around 6:30 a.m. of March 11 after he was fetched near his grandpa’s house in Rizal St., Poblacion this town, by a pedicab driver wearing a bonnet and sunglasses.

The mayor said Cedric was used to being ferried by a pedicab to and from school. But around 11:30 a.m. of the same day, the suspects called up Romero and demanded P3 million ransom for the child’s release. The suspects negotiated through text messages and later agreed to a counter-offer of P510,000. The money was finally received by Tiosen on Friday along Macayog Bridge in San Jacinto.

Authorities recovered the victim safe walking along the national highway in Barangay Alacan, San Fabian town around 1 a.m. Saturday.

Suspects Aquino and Tiosen were arrested later on the same day and admitted their involvement in the kidnapping. The police seized from Aquino two cellular phones, a pouch containing P104,000 while the police got from Tiosen one cellualr phone and P20,000 cash.

The breakthrough in the case came about when Russelito Ydia, driver of the mayor, went to him around 11 a.m. Saturday and confessed his personal knowledge and participation in the kidnapping because he was bothered by his conscience as he is a relative of the mayor. He also surrendered his share from the ransom money amounting to P35,000.

Aquino who was dismissed in December 2008 from police service for being absent without official leave used to work as security aide of the mayor.

Barba said the police are still conducting manhunt operation against other suspects – Rudy Fernandez, Domingo Fernandez and two other John Does.