KFR gang leader nabbed in Taguig

The suspected leader of a kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) group allegedly involved in a series of abductions in Metro Manila was arrested last Saturday by police anti-kidnapping agents in Taguig. Felix Villaver, 45, of Ormoc City and long wanted by police anti-kidnapping units for his role in a string of high-profile kidnappings since 2001, was cornered by police raiders at his safehouse at 16 Libis street, Zone 5, Signal Village at 7 a.m.

Seized from the suspect, who has several pending warrants of arrest for kidnapping charges, was a 9 mm machine pistol.

Arrested along with the suspect were two of his relatives, identified as brothers Jerry and Virgilio Eagamano.

Superintendent Alejandro Gutierrez, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Office (CIDO) and leader of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) raiding team, said Villaver and the brothers were caught by surprise and were not able to resist arrest.

Gutierrez said that the Villaver kidnap gang is a sub-group of the notorious Fajardo KFR group which has been tagged as the gang behind at least five high-profile kidnappings in 2001.

Among the victims of the group was Mary Grace Ong, daughter of the owner of Uratex. She was snatched by heavily armed men inside the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City on June 18, 2001.

Ong’s aunt Connie, along with her bodyguards, was also abducted by Villaver and his group in Valenzuela on Oct. 1, 2001.

The group was also tagged as the perpetrators in the kidnap-slaying of Greek ship captain Filippos Orpanos on Jan. 15, 2001 in Ermita.

Despite payment of undetermined amount of ransom, Orpanos was executed by his abductors and his body dumped in Rizal province.

Villaver’s cohorts Abdul Mangabang, Rodolfo Patinoa and Eugene Radam, all sub-leaders of the Fajardo KFR Group, have been killed in a series of anti-government operations.

Cops kill holdup man in shootout

Meanwhile, an unidentified holdup suspect was killed by police in a shootout in Taguig yesterday.

Operatives of the Police Community Precinct 2, led by SPO4 William Dam, said they spotted the suspect and his six cohorts in the act of holding up one Cherry Valdez at around 3:30 a.m. along Daisy street in Lower Bicutan.

According to Dam, they responded after the victim shouted for help. The suspect fired at them using an improvised shotgun, which prompted police to retaliate.

The suspect, who sustained three gunshot wounds in different parts of the body, was rushed to a nearby hospital, but was declared dead on arrival.

Police were able to arrest two other suspects, identified as Jamar Aylani Amman, 18, of Maharlika Village, and Albert Duterte Saavedra, 22, of Upper Bicutan. They were presented at the city prosecutor’s office for inquest yesterday.

Recovered from the group were Valdez’s bag containing P10,000 and a Nokia 3310 cell phone. Also recovered was the improvised shotgun with ammunition, police said.

According to Dam, the identity of the suspect remained unknown because the two arrested suspects refused to identify him.

"Amman only said the suspect was a fellow Muslim. And that’s all we know," Dam said in a phone interview. – With Edu Punay