3 cops, 5 others charged for Korean businessman’s kidnap

MANILA, Philippines - Eight people, including three police officers, were charged over the weekend for kidnapping a Korean businessman and holding him for ransom in Pasay City last April, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said yesterday.

Police Officer 3 Boyet Villaluz and Police Officers 2 Frederick Tolentino and Allan “Alex” Villaluz; two Japanese men identified only as Yuji and Kenji; the businessman’s driver, Leonard Cabenela; a certain Boy Negro and an unidentified man were charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention before the Makati City prosecutor’s office on Saturday.

Tolentino was arrested outside his house in Caloocan City last week after victim Hyun Yeo Koo told the NBI that the suspects were demanding P6 million on top of the P4 million ransom he has paid. The seven other suspects remain at large.

“Tolentino was arrested based on a warrant issued in 2010 for beating his mistress” and holding her hostage in a condominium unit, a source said.

According to Hyun, he was kidnapped in Pasay City on April 7. He was in a Toyota Fortuner together with Cabenela and girlfriend Juliann Escarial when armed men flagged them down along Roxas Boulevard at about 9 p.m.

The NBI reported that the armed men introduced themselves as NBI operatives and commandeered the vehicle. Hyun said Alex demanded P20 million, but the Korean told Alex he did not have that amount.

Hyun said he “could only produce P2 million. However, subjects insisted that (Hyun) raise more money or else he would be held captive for a long time,” the NBI said in its report.

The couple eventually raised P4 million, which Alex accepted, the NBI said. The suspects released the complainants “with a threat that they would kill (Hyun) and his family if the latter would report the incident to the authorities,” according to the NBI.

During their captivity, however, Hyun was able to get the plate number of one of the suspects’ cars, a Toyota Altis (XHS-721). Records show that the vehicle belongs to Tolentino.

On May 26, Alex reportedly called Hyun again and demanded that the Korean pay his P6 million “balance.” Hyun said he did not have that amount so Alex asked him to just shell out P350,000 at a gasoline station in Makati.

This prompted Hyun to seek help from the NBI, which launched an entrapment. This did not push through “for security reasons” and Alex’s failure to arrive at the scene, the NBI said.

The NBI said it obtained the footage taken by surveillance cameras in the area to get the images of the suspects, including Cabanela and Tolentino.