Cops hit efforts to muddle probe of Rolito Go kidnap

MANILA, Philippines – Some people are trying to muddle the investigation of the alleged kidnapping of convicted killer Rolito Go in the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa last Aug. 14, the head of the police Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) said yesterday.

“Those information came from people who want to muddle with the investigation. We won’t pay attention to that,” said AKG acting chief Senior Superintendent Renato Gumban, apparently referring to reports that Go was seen gambling at a casino in Parañaque City hours after he was supposedly abducted last Aug. 14.

Gumban, who was a guest at a weekly forum, said their focus now is on the instructions of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to determine the motive behind the kidnapping and identify the perpetrators.

He added that the joint investigation task force, which held its first case conference last Friday, has been working hard to comply with De Lima’s directive.

The members of the task force include representatives from the AKG, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Manila and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

 “The joint investigation is continuing and in the event charges will be filed, the AKG will initiate the filing,” he added.

In the case of Go, Gumban said the four elements of kidnapping were present: abduction, negotiation, payoff and release.

Past cases

Gumban admitted to have heard reports that there were already some incidents of kidnapping in the past but Go’s case is a special one. The kidnappings involved wives of suspected big-time drug lords.

Previous kidnappings “will be included in the investigation for us to find out who were behind (them) and check on those previous incidents and the victims,” he added.

According to reports, Gumban said there were already five kidnappings before Go and the ransom ranged from P100,000 to P400,000 with the payoff done in a quick manner.

He noted that the kidnappers could have laid low, knowing the police and the NBI are monitoring them.

AKG spokesman Superintendent Rolando Miranda said there was no truth to the impression that kidnapping cases increase during elections. He said records show that kidnappings drop during the year before election periods.

Go was convicted for the murder of 25-year-old De La Salle University mechanical engineering graduate Eldon Maguan in July 1991. Go shot Maguan in anger during a traffic altercation after Go had a fight with his girlfriend. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.

He had previously escaped from detention a few days before the court convicted him in November 1993. Go was one of the country’s most wanted men until his re-arrest at a piggery in Pampanga in 1996.

At the time of his escape, Go had been transferred to the minimum security facility of the penitentiary and assigned work at the church because of his advanced age.