Ativan Gang leader falls

The Makati City police has captured the leader of the Ativan Gang, the main suspect in the death of a South Korean diplomat.

Rodrigo Fabricante aka Robert Sambili was presented to the media yesterday by Task Force Ativan of the Makati City police. Fabricante admitted all the charges against him except the killing of South Korean diplomat Chung Young Ho.

The suspect claimed that the Korean’s death was purely accidental because he had no intention to harm the victim in any way.

He maintained that the Korean was still alive but groggy when he dropped him off in Marikina City last June 6.

According to the autopsy results on the Korean, he suffocated to death as a result of food getting stuck in his throat.

Fabricante added that he had only one partner, his driver, Arturo Herrera, who is currently still at large.

President Arroyo expressed elation over Fabricante’s arrest. "I hope this development related to law enforcement augur well for our quest for peace and the personal safety of our people," she said.

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay commended the police for its quick resolution of the case which has damaged the image of the city as well as the country. "I am happy that because of the coordinated and relentless effort of the Makati police, we can now say that we have solved the problem of the Ativan Gang," Binay said.

National Capital Regional Police Office chief Deputy Director General Edgardo Aglipay also thanked the Makati City government and the Makati police for bringing about the conclusion of the case.

Binay also announced that the would push for the creation of special tourist courts to handle cases such as the Ativan Gang.

Meanwhile, the South Korean Embassy in Manila deplored a police report which claimed that Chung was killed by members of a kidnap gang who had earlier abducted his son.

"The article is totally groundless and entirely contrary to facts. I would like to clarify that the late Mr. Chung had no child kidnapped. Mr. Chung’s wife and two daughters – he had no son– though still in deepest sadness, are safe and there is no kidnapping or ransom negotiation involved with Mr. Chung’s death," said South Korean Embassy Consul General Lee Soon-Chun in a letter to The STAR yesterday.

At least four cases will be filed in Makati City against Fabricante, not including the case of the Korean.

According to Salido, Fabricante will be held liable for the robbery cases involving Spanish restaurateur Eduardo Moreno, Japanese Shuhei Uchida, Frenchman Michel Hennequin and New Zealander Peter Holyoeke, all of whom were victimized during the period May to June this year.

The 50-year-old Fabricante admitted that he used the false identity of Sambili to dupe the foreigners into going with him.

Fabricante produced calling cards of Sambili who holds the position of executive vice president of the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation.

His drug of choice was Dormicum, a tranquilizer or sleeping pill which he used in large doses on his victims. The dosage was so potent that most of the victims lost consciousness even with only a few sips of canned juice drinks containing the drug.

Fabricante said that he had been doing this for almost 20 years and used his loot to support his wife and three children.

He was recruited by a certain Willie Crudo but their alliance ended in 1992 when he was cheated by his partner, leading him to set up his own operation.

Fabricante also claimed that Raquel Laxamana, one of the suspects presented by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine Nationa Police, is not involved in any of the incidents and is merely his girlfriend.

Fabricante was arrested after a two-day operation starting in Tanay, Rizal all the way to Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Superintendent Jose Salido, chief of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Makati police and Task Force Ativan, led the 12-member team in search of Fabricante. – Marichu Villanueva