Philippine National Police chief Director General Leandro Mendoza said the subsequent arrest of four suspects in the kidnapping-for-ransom of Mary Ruth Quilindrino, a second year medical student of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), boosts the police campaign against kidnap-for-ransom gangs.
Mendoza said the arrests were made "in keeping with the commitment of the law enforcement community to neutralize 18 kidnap-for-ransom syndicates within the 90-day schedule of the National Peace and Order Council."
He commended the PNP-Intelligence Group under Chief Superintendent Roberto Delfin, for the arrests of Edcel Tomas Manuel Piga, 22, single of Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan, and the victim’s family driver, Renato Mosayla Mercador alias Rene, 28, of Almeria, Leyte.
Police also arrested Piga’s cohorts identified as Geraldine Dulca alias Bay Gerry, 29, of Negros Occidental and Rey Anselmo alias Puto, 31, of Dagupan City, Pangasinan.
Mendoza surmised that the Quilindrino kidnapping was an inside job after the PNP-Intelligence agents arrested the alleged mastermind, Piga, who happened to be a son of the canteen concessionaire of the Perpetual Succor Hospital in Sampaloc, Manila.
A total of 34 suspected kidnappers belonging to six criminal groups have been arrested by the police in connection with intensified campaign against kidnap-for-ransom gangs under the 90-day timetable of the National Peace and Order Council (NPOC).
Interior and Local Government Secretary Joey Lina noted that the neutralization of the kidnap-for-ransom groups sends a strong signal to criminal syndicates to stop their illegal activities.
"The PNP is serious in its campaign. This should give the crime groups a strong signal that we are serious in addressing kidnap-for-ransom activities. What is important here is how many were arrested and jailed and that the incidents were reduced because of the intensified campaign," he said.
The alleged mastermind, Piga, and Mercador, were nabbed by intelligence agents under Senior Superintendent Jaime Caringal in the vicinity of the Perpetual Succor Hospital at about 3 p.m. last Thursday while Dulca was arrested at about 1 a.m. the following day. Dulca was nabbed at his residence on Domingo Santiago St., Sampaloc, Manila.
Anselmo was nabbed during follow-up operations in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, at about 9:30 a.m. last Friday.
Caringal said kidnap-for-ransom charges were filed against the suspects with Quezon City inquest prosecutor Hilda Ibuyan, who recommended no bail for the suspects’ freedom.
Police recovered P850,000 of the ransom money and a Toyota Lite Ace van with license plate PNR-152, which the suspects allegedly used in the abduction. "Continuous operation is ongoing for the arrest of the remaining suspects as well as the recovery of the rest of the money," Caringal said.