PNP draws first blood in drive, nets 3 kidnap suspects

The Philippine National Police (PNP) drew first blood yesterday in the renewed drive against criminal syndicates as it arrested three suspected members of the so-called Joel Medrano kidnapping gang.

Deputy Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., PNP deputy chief for administration, identified the suspects as Renato Abuevo, Arnold Ramirez and Rolando Velasco, who were arrested by the PNP Special Task Group (STAG).

Ebdane tagged the three suspects as among those who kidnapped businessman Miguel Siscar in Plaridel, Bulacan on June 5; Josielyn Tan Cabrera in Guiguinto, Bulacan on May 11; Singaporean businessman Benedict Leung and Hong Kong national Judy Chan in Tondo on April 26; and Marco Sia in Sta. Maria, Bulacan on March 14.

The three suspects were arrested in separate operations in Plaridel, Bulacan and Letre, Malabon based on warrants of arrest issued by a Bulacan regional trial court, Ebdane added.

He said the arrest of the three suspects effectively neutralized the Joel Medrano kidnapping gang since 10 other members of the gang were arrested by the STAG in an earlier operation.

Members of the group detained at the PNP detention center at Camp Crame are Eladio and Luisito Gatmaitan, Armando Roque, Leonel Malbeda, Aye Rodriguez, Juanito Cabigao, Adriano Corte, Julio Ragonton, Gerardo Litao and Guillermo Litao.

The Joel Medrano Gang is among the 18 criminal syndicates singled out by the police in the renewed anti-crime drive ordered by President Arroyo earlier this week.

PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza said the crackdown will be spearheaded by the PNP’s Intelligence Group, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the elite Special Action Force.

The commanders of the three PNP units had a closed-door command conference with Mendoza at Camp Crame on Wednesday to spell out their plan of action.

Mendoza had said the crackdown would be similar to the dragnet operations the military conducted in Basilan island against Abu Sayyaf extremists but pledged to respect human and civil rights.

The 18 criminal syndicates have been under surveillance for the past two months and Mendoza assured the President on Tuesday that there would be major arrests in the next two weeks.

Mendoza said additional troops from the Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon will be deployed in Metro Manila for the renewed drive and for the joint opening of Congress on Monday.

Some 460 of these additional policemen, wearing uniforms different from those usually worn by policemen, have already been deployed in various areas in Metro Manila, Mendoza said.

These policemen will not report to police stations but to the central commands of PNP regional director and district directors so they would not grow too familiar with a particular beat assignment.

Mendoza noted the additional policemen would improve the policeman-to-population ratio which now stands at one cop per 500 population, way off the standard of one to 200 in developed countries.