Roldan pleads ‘not guilty’ to kidnap raps

Former congressman and actor Dennis Roldan, along with his five co-accused in the kidnapping of a three-year-old boy last February, pleaded not guilty yesterday to said charges before the Pasig City regional trial court (RTC).

Roldan (Mitchell Gumabao in real life), Octavio Pacis Garces, Noel San Andres, Rowena San Andres, Romeo Orcajada and Adrian Domingo entered their guilty plea during the arraignment of the case at the sala of Judge Agnes Carpio of the RTC Branch 261.

The former congressman from Quezon City arrived at Carpio’s courtroom wearing an orange detainee shirt and maong pants at about 8:30 a.m. He and his co-accused were escorted by jail guards from the Pasig City detention center.

Roldan was initially detained at the Philippine National Police detention center, but was transferred last July 28 to the Pasig City facility.

He and his co-accused were charged for kidnapping a three-year-old boy who was being accompanied by a nanny to a pre-school at the Ortigas Center last Feb. 9.

The suspects had demanded an initial ransom of P250 million which was lowered to P50 million a week after the abduction. After a series of negotiations, the ransom was further reduced to P10 million then P3 million during the boy’s 11th day in captivity.

Police rescued the victim in Cubao, Quezon City last Feb. 19 before the family could pay ransom.

During tactical interrogation, some of the suspects pointed to Suzette Wang alias Suzette Co See, 31, as the mastermind in the boy’s kidnapping.

Wang, Roldan’s girlfriend, is a classmate of the victim’s mother.

Anti-crime watchdog Citizens Action Against Crime claimed that Carpio had issued a warrant of arrest against Wang last July 29.