6 suspects in kidnap-slay of judge’s son arrested; bold star’s role probed

Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy director for administration, Director Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and Intelligence chief, Senior Superintendent Reynaldo Berroya presented to media yesterday six suspects in the kidnap-slay of Mark Harris Bacalla, son of the late Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Marciano Bacalla.

Arrested during separate operations and presented to reporters in Camp Crame were Zaldy Carino, Tony Aldoz Surat Alcantara, cousins Lino, Carlito and Sammy Pader, and Keno Mauricio.

Senior Superintendent Jesus Verzosa, chief of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s (CIDG) Business Concerns Office said investigators are digging deeper into the motive of the crime.

The alleged mastermind was identified as Onofre Surat Jr., alias Jun, who supposedly owns the CRV Beerhouse in Fairview, Quezon City, and is a compadre of the victim. Surat is also wanted in the United States for large scale swindling, Verzosa revealed.

Police are also investigating the alleged involvement of a former film starlet called "Camille" who works as a guest relations officer (GRO) in Surat’s pub and is said to be "romantically linked’ with both Surat and Bacalla.

Bacalla, 24, was apparently kidnapped last May 2, a day after he left home to attend a friend’s birthday party.

His body was later found in a shallow grave in Barangay Rizal, Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, where one of the suspects, Lino Pader, had admitted burying him and being paid P4,800 to do it.

His body was identified by his mother, Ofelia Bacalla, after the seemingly repentant Pader helped dig up the remains he had buried.

"We are not well-to-do. I have been the sole breadwinner since my husband died last year. I really cannot understand why this happened. I hope they pay for what they did to my son," a tearful Mrs. Bacalla said between sobs, after viewing her son’s remains after midnight yesterday in Cuyapo.

Mrs. Bacalla could not comprehend why her son was killed since the perpetrators were demanding and negotiating a ransom of P4 million through text messages and cellular phone calls on May 8 and 17.

She described her son to be "very kind" and who had no enemies. The young Bacalla had a bachelor’s degree from the AMA Computer College and was enrolled in a management course at the National College for Business Administration (NCBA).

Recovered from Alcantara’s possession were the disassembled parts of the victim’s Honda Civic, including the magwheels and cylinder head. The victim’s mother identified a men’s Swatch watch, sunglasses and a bracelet found on Lino Pader as her son’s.

Lino, Sammy and Carlito Pader were "hired" by the mastermind to bring the victim’s remains to Nueva Ecija for burial after he was apparently killed in Quezon City.