Talisay police to check backgrounds of “kidnappers”

CEBU, Philippines - The police in Talisay City will run background checks on two alleged kidnap-for-ransom suspects, one of whom was shot and killed by an agent of the National Bureau of Investigation in a rescue operation Sunday evening.

Talisay City Police Station officer-in-charge Superintendent Elmer Lim told reporters yesterday that the police will investigate Wane Tiaño and Ronilo Roble of sitio San Rafael, barangay Tanke, Talisay City.

Lim said the police believe the two men are not members of a kidnap-for-ransom syndicate but just petty thieves.

When their victim Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Reney Boy Agraviador turned out to be without money, they took him to a place so that it would appear they had kidnapped him, and there phoned his family for ransom, Lim said.

Lim said the police will also investigate another man who had introduced himself as a police officer and arrested Agraviador Sunday evening at Rabaya Street, Talisay City for alleged possession of illegal drugs and demanded P50,000 from the family for his release.

Tiaño died after the shootout with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) while Roble was arrested. A third companion eluded arrest.

The shootout happened after NBI agents identified themselves to the suspects.  (FREEMAN)