Caloocan cop nabbed for kidnapping

A Caloocan City cop who went AWOL (absent without official leave) for the past two months was arrested for alleged kidnapping and illegal possession of firearms in Malabon City Saturday night.

Northern Police District director Chief Superintendent Pedro Tango identified the suspect as Police Officer 2 Leonardo Martin Jr., formerly assigned at the intelligence unit of the Caloocan City police.

Tango said Martin, linked to several crime groups operating in the northern part of Metro Manila and Bulacan, was arrested on Hito street in Dagat-Dagatan by District Police Intelligence Unit (DPIU) agents at around 8 p.m. Martin yielded a loaded nine-millimeter pistol.

DPIU chief Superintendent Reynaldo Orante said that at around 7:30 p.m., tricycle driver Angelito Pabito, 32, and his wife Joana, 30, sought the help of his men, claiming that he had just escaped from his abductor.

Pabito told police that at around 4 p.m., he was riding his black Honda motorcycle near his house when a man sat behind him and told him to just continue driving. When they reached a public cemetery in Barangay Tugatog, the suspect instructed him to go inside.

The suspect then tied his hands, beat him up and told him that he would be freed if he could produce P80,000.  When Pabito said that he could not afford it, the suspect placed him on top of an empty tomb and warned that he would be buried there if he failed to produce the money.

Pabito said he could come up with P50,000. The suspect agreed and untied him. They went back to Pabito’s house to get the money.

While suspect waited for Pabito outside his house, the victim snuck out and sought help from the DPIU. Orante sent a nine-man team to arrest the suspect, who turned out to be Martin.

Interviewed in his cell, Martin denied the accusation. He said he boarded Pabito’s motorcycle because he wanted to bring Pabito to the traffic police for nearly sideswiping him. He decided to allow Pabito to go home upon knowing they were just neighbors in Dagat-Dagatan.

He said he went AWOL because of his poor health.

PO2 Enrique Pangan said Martin is facing a string of cases in Bulacan and Caloocan City and is hiding from authorities. He also said the Caloocan City police are searching for Martin, who was dropped from their roster in December last year.  – Pete Laude