2 ‘Jericho’ members nabbed for kidnap

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Two policemen, one of them a chief inspector, and two employees of Task Force Jericho of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) were arrested after allegedly kidnapping a Taiwanese businessman Tuesday.

Police recovered Wang Teng Fa, 65, after the suspects snatched him from his farm in Magalang town early Tuesday and ordered his wife to deliver a ransom of P300,000 at the SM department store here on the same day.

Police said the victim’s wife Chua Zu Lin reported the abduction to the police which led to the arrest of Chief Inspector Orlando Melchor, 31; and his three accomplices, Police Officer 2 Darius Salonga, 31; civilian employee Alvin Nucum, 31 and civilian agent Kenneth Sia, 31; all assigned with the Task Force Jericho of the DILG.

Pampanga police chief Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Mendoza said the suspects accosted Wang and accused him of being an overstaying alien.

Chua claimed she later got a telephone call from one of the suspects demanding P300,000 for the businessman’s release.

She agreed to meet the caller at the SM shopping mall here with the money for her husband’s release.

But before proceeding to the meeting place, Chua said she informed the Magalang police about the kidnapping of her husband that led to the arrest of the suspects.

Mendoza said arresting lawmen immediately surrounded the two suspects, Nucum and Sia, after allegedly receiving the ransom payment but about five other suspects were able to escape with some P210,000. The remaining P90,000 was recovered by the rescuers.

Mendoza said Melchor and Salonga, who were waiting with the victim at the parking lot, panicked after sensing their cohorts had been arrested inside the mall.

The two policemen drove with their victim all the way to the DILG office in Quezon City where they tried a final ruse, declaring that the Taiwanese was arrested for being an illegal alien. Both Melchor and Salonga were later arrested.

"I think the two suspects who panicked were trying to legitimize their operations, but circumstances indicate the operation was not just a mere case of so-called hulidap, but kidnap-for-ransom. There was a demand for payment and there was a payoff," Mendoza said.

"Task Force Jericho is supposed to deal with illegal gambling and not immigration laws, and their purported arrest of an illegal alien should have been coordinated with the Bureau of Immigration," Mendoza noted.

Task Force Jericho director Chief Superintendent Manuel Cabigon agreed the suspect policemen operated outside their mandate.

Cabigon said he will ask Interior Secretary Jose Lina to terminate Melchor and Salonga from the unit at the soonest possible time.

Cabigon said he will also institute summary dismissal proceedings against the two police officers on top of the criminal charges with the two civilians agents.

"File the charges as you see fit according to the facts of the case," Cabigon later told Chief Superintendent Vidal Querol, Central Luzon police director. "Let them answer for that."

Cabigon told The STAR that Melchor was a former operative of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the Bureau of Immigration and Western Police District.

Cabigon admitted he had been hesitant to take in Melchor because of negative feedback. "However, somebody pushed for his inclusion into the Jericho, so I gave in," he said.

"I was hesitant to give (Melchor) an assignment. The first time I gave him a job, he did miserably," Cabigon said. - With Cristina Mendez, Ric Sapnu, Non Alquitran, AFP