Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recently filed kidnapping charges against three reported agents of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for allegedly abducting a Chinese national and demanding P200,000 for his release.
Head Agent Regner Peneza of the NBI-Counter Intelligence Division (CID) said they filed the criminal case against Robert Romuar, Tony Aylon, a certain Vincent and John, who reportedly claimed to be BI agents.
Only the alleged runner of the group, Ericson Gariando, was arrested by the NBI. The case against the five suspects was lodged before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office.
“We have yet to verify with the BI if the suspects are connected with the said agency,” said Peneza.
The NBI records showed that sometime this month, Romuar, Aylon and Vincent went to a mall in Novaliches, Quezon City and allegedly arrested 22-year-old Chinese national Jun Go. They reportedly forced him into a red Honda Civic and was supposed to bring him to the BI head office in Intramuros, Manila.
But they took him instead to the Immigration and Detention Center in Bicutan, Taguig and there contacted Go’s relative, Danny Gan. The suspects reportedly initially demanded P200,000, but Gan negotiated and succeeded in lowering the ransom money to P60,000.
The 24-year-old Gan first made an initial payment of P10,000. It was agreed that the remaining P50,000 would be delivered the following day.
Gan then sought the help of the NBI-CID, which immediately arranged an entrapment operation. The exchange was supposed to take place at a hotel.
Only Gariando was apprehended during the operation.