Probers identify one of men who abducted 3 persons in Valenzuela

The police have now a suspect in the abduction of three unidentified Chinese-looking men last Friday night in Valenzuela City after a witness recognized one of the kidnappers through a police rogue gallery.

An eyewitness, one of the three patrolling barangay watchmen, pointed to the picture of one Rolando German Cruz which "closely resembles" to one of the seven heavily armed abductors.

Cruz, sources said, is allegedly a member of the Aguirre Group, led by a certain Danny Aguirre, believed to be responsible in a number of kidnap for ransom cases particularly in Bulacan.

At about 11:30 p.m. Friday, Oring Pineda, chairman of Barangay Ugong, reported to the police that his men witnessed an abduction of three Chinese-looking men by seven unidentified heavily armed suspects.

The suspects, onboard two black Nissan Sentras, reportedly blocked the path of a white Toyota Revo along Que Grande corner Darlucio streets in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City.

The suspects, armed with long guns, three were M2O3 Armalites with grenade launchers, reportedly ordered the Revo’s occupants to get down.

One of the suspects reportedly mauled the Revo’s driver while the two others were shoved back into their car with the barrel of a rifle, witnesses told the police.

The kidnappers sped off towards Barangay Bagbaguin in Caloocan City where the barangay tanods followed them through their patrol vehicle.

But when the tanods were about to catch up with the suspects, the armed men stopped and reportedly told them at gunpoint to get down their vehicle and lie down on the pavement.

The tanods failed to jot down the plate numbers of both the victims’ and the suspects’ cars.

As of press time yesterday, the Valenzuela City police are still scrambling for information as to the identities of the victims as no complainants yet surfaced.

Last Friday’s abduction occurred merely three days after Connie Yap Wong, sister of Uratex Foam Corp. owner Robert Cheng, and her policeman-bodyguard PO1 Dionisio Borca Jr., who were kidnapped in Quezon City last Oct. 1, were found dead along Galas street in Barangay Bignay also in Valenzuela City.