Big kidnap gang busted

Police claimed yesterday to have solved four kidnap-for-ransom cases involving five victims — two of them foreigners — with the arrest of 12 members of a criminal syndicate operating in Manila and Bulacan.

Officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said the syndicate, led by Ariel Rodriguez a.k.a. "Aye" and "Joan," was responsible for the kidnapping of Marco Sia on March 14 in Sta. Maria, Bulacan; Singaporean Benedict Leong and Hong Kong national Judy Chan on April 26 in Tondo, Manila; Filipino-Chinese Joselyn Tan- Cabrera on May 6 in Guiguinto, Bulacan; and Miguel Siscar on June 6 in Plaridel, Bulacan.

PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza, who presented the suspects in a press conference at Camp Crame yesterday, said the operation against the alleged kidnappers was a joint project of a special group headed by Police Deputy Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. together with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Bulacan police.

"Our men arrested these personalities in different parts of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Metro Manila during hot pursuit operations from June 19 to 21," Mendoza said.

Arrested with ring leader Rodriguez were suspected financier Adriano Cortez and members Luisito Gatmaitan, Gerardo Litao, Guillermo Litao, Paolo Litao, Juanito Magbanua, Leonilo Malbeda, Julio Regunton and Armando Roque. Two more suspects, who were arrested yesterday afternoon, were not identified.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina said solution of most of the kidnapping cases was attributed to the timely reporting of the incidents and the cooperation of the victims’ families with the police.

Lina said President Arroyo has lauded the PNP "for a job well done."

"These latest police operations against kidnap-for-ransom syndicates are our way of telling the public that the police remains on top of the situation, and that crime cannot go unpunished," he said.

CIDG director Chief Superintendent Nestorio Gualberto pointed out that three of the suspects confessed their participation in the series of kidnapping-for-ransom activities.

The kidnapping case of Tan-Cabrera reportedly involved a payment of P200,000. She was released on May 15.

On the other hand, Siscar was released on June 18 after payment of a P1-million ransom – an amount reduced from an initial demand of P20 million.

Central Luzon police director Chief Superintendent Enrique Galang said the breakthrough in the case came when police recovered in Bulacan an owner jeep allegedly used by the group in the pickup of the ransom.

Recovered from the suspects were a caliber .25 pistol, a shotgun, two caliber .45 pistols, three vehicles and four mobile phones allegedly used in communicating with the relatives of the victims.

A case of kidnapping for ransom has been filed with the municipal trial court of Plaridel, Bulacan simultaneous with the return of the arrest warrants.

Lina, who has been defended by Malacañang for his recent statements involving the Mary Cheng-Regasa kidnapping, said several intelligence operations are underway against other kidnap gangs and crime syndicates.

‘We have faith in gov’t’

Meanwhile, Filipino-Chinese business leaders said they have not lost confidence in the Arroyo administration but urged police military authorities to improve their efforts in combating crime, especially kidnapping.

The Chinese Filipino Business Club Inc. (CFBCI) said the stability of the stock market in recent weeks is a vote of confidence by businessmen in the ability of the five-month-old administration to control peace and order.

"The Philippine Stock Exchange has remained steady at the 1,400 level in the last three weeks. This is an indication that there is no capital flight as of this date," said CFBCI president Dante Go, who was in Camp Aguinaldo yesterday to hand over a P1 million donation for the families of soldier killed or wounded in the campaign against the Abu Sayyaf.

He pointed out that international and regional factors, rather than criminality, had been principally responsible for the economic downturn.

The business leader took note of the sharp fall of the peso against the dollar amid the kidnapping activities of the Abu Sayyaf, but said "we feel it is because of recession in the world."

Criminal activities, he admitted have compounded the entire situation.

Go said it was "a very difficult time" for everyone, and said the police had room "to improve their intelligence."

"We are not blaming anybody. We do not have anyone to blame because of this crime coming up," he said.

The business leader said the President’s plan to organize a multi-sectoral government body to combat kidnappings and other crimes was a step in the right direction.

"This will help settle down or cool down the situation a bit," he said.

The other day, Mrs. Arroyo reassured the Filipino people that she remains in full control despite attempts by her political enemies to destabilize her five-month-old administration. She vowed to break the back of organized crime groups through the National Anti-Crime Council (NACC).

Go said they have appointed a lawyer to act as liaison with the police to help them combat kidnapping groups targeting the Filipino-Chinese community.

The unnnamed lawyer would "represent the community because these kidnapping cases are happenning so fast."

Go said the reluctance of relatives of kidnap victims to call in the police was understandable, and should not be used to rationalize the public perception that they are inviting these attacks with this posture.

"You have to understand also the situation of the victim," he said. "That is why we sometimes have to encourage the victims to cooperate with authorities."

He said the situation is also compounded by rumors through text messages of supposed kidnappings in Chinatown which actually did not take place.

"It seems these text messages are meant just to create a situation," Go said.