3 kidnap men get death

A Quezon City court has sentenced to death three alleged members of the Red Scorpion Group, a notorious kidnap-for-ransom group, for abducting a lawyer three years ago.

Meted with capital punishment were Reynaldo Sarabia, the alleged head of the Sarabia Gang, and a resident of Maluyo, Allacapan, Cagayan; Franklin Sejalbo of Buyon, Sta. Teresita, Cagayan; and Melchor Sejalbo of 168 Malaya st., Malanday, Marikina City. They were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the crime of kidnapping-for-ransom.

Aside from the maximum penalty, Judge Diosdado Peralta of the Regional Trial Court Branch 95 also meted the three accused six years imprisonment for robbing the kidnap victim, lawyer Jose Agaton Sibal, owner of Alemar’s bookstore.

Peralta said the verdict on the three was read recently inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City where Sarabia has been detained since May 9 last year, serving a prison term for the kidnapping-for-ransom of Geraldine Ong and Janine del Mundo in October 1997.

Peralta also dropped the charges against Aristotle Arreola after the latter turned state witness against the accused, while Fema Arreola and Angelo Arreola were not indicted for lack of evidence.

A seventh accused, Roger Rex Ramos, was acquitted after the prosecution failed to establish his participation in the kidnapping.– Cecille Suerte Felipe