6 kidnap suspects nabbed

The Philippine National Police is looking into the alleged involvement of active military personnel in the rash of kidnap-for-ransom incidents in Metro Manila following the arrest Monday of two Army soldiers and four others for the abduction of a 13-year-old student of Japanese descent in Quezon City recently.

National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) chief Deputy Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. identified two of the suspects as Army Sergeants Joselim Arnuco, 39, assigned with the Third Infantry Division of Philippine Army, and Virgilio Corpuz, 39, detailed with the Civil Affairs Group (CAG), also of the Philippine Army. Both are residents of Fort Bonifacio, Makati City.

Informed about the arrest, Army spokesman Col. Jose Mabanta said Arnuco and Corpuz are likely to be dismissed from the service.

The two soldiers were presented to media along with Joer Bunales, 30, of Las Piñas City; Wilfredo Blanca, 39, of Muntinlupa City; Manuel Cruz, 38, meat dealer and a resident of Fort Bonifacio, Makati City; and Philip Pegarido, 34 of Dasmariñas, Cavite.

They were tagged as responsible for the abduction of Mark John Giga, a son of Japanese national, and a grade school student of the Marian School of Quezon City in Novaliches.

Giga positively identified the suspects as his abductors when they met yesterday.

Giga was abducted while on his way to school together with his elder brother Michael, 14, and Manuel Joseph Ancheta, 10, and Princess Marian Ancheta, 8, children of the victim’s mother from her second marriage.

The incident happened last Sept. 26 in front of the Marian School. The three kids were released later on the same day in San Mateo, Rizal.

The Gigas were children of Japanese newspaper publisher Seizebburo Giga and his Filipina wife Hilda Cruz.

Ebdane said the suspects released the victim two days later when the family refused to pay P50-million ransom demand. NAKTAK operatives said the boy rode a taxi on his way home after he was abandoned by his abductors near a safehouse.

Ebdane said the suspects initially demanded P50-million for the child’s release but this was later lowered to P300,000.

Ebdane said kidnap-for-ransom charges were filed against the suspects before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office yesterday.