Arroyo hails NAKTF for 3 kidnap-free months

Handing P1 million and P500,000 in cash separately to two informants, President Arroyo praised yesterday retired Gen. Angelo Reyes for breaking the back of kidnap gangs.

Reyes heads the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTF).

Speaking at ceremonies at Malacañang, Mrs. Arroyo said the "sterling performance" of Reyes has led to "zero incidence" of kidnapping for the past three months.

"I am proud of the gains that the NAKTF has achieved, I thank Secretary Reyes for his sterling performance," she said.

"(Reyes) has led a good team and he has chosen a good panel of advisers who really know how to get about solving it. It is just they need government enforcers to be the one to implement what they know has to be done.

"Today I am happy to report, based on information given to me by the business community and the anti-kidnapping NGO leader Teresita Ang-See, the kidnapping today is at an all time low."

Mrs. Arroyo gave the P1 million reward to the informant who led NAKTF agents to the hideout in Dinalupihan, Bataan of Dr. Roberto Obeles Yap, the notorious kidnap gang leader, who was No. 1 in the NAKTF’s order of battle.

The P500,000 was handed by Mrs. Arroyo to the informant who tipped off NAKTF agents to the whereabouts of Reynaldo Cacho, No. 8 in the agency’s list of wanted men.

Both were wearing black hoods to conceal their identities when they received the money from Mrs. Arroyo in ceremonies in Malacañang.

In handing them their cash rewards, Mrs. Arroyo said the two informants represented ordinary citizens who had brought justice to the victims of kidnapping, as well as the Filipino people.

"And I hope that there will be other citizens like them, who will join hands with us in sustaining the gains of this anti-kidnapping campaign," she said.

In response, Reyes said the NAKTF was able to crush kidnap gangs with help from the business community, the Chinese-Filipino Chambers of Commerce, the federations of Chinese-Filipino groups, and ordinary people who gave them advice.— Marichu Villanueva