2 cops tagged in Monumento kidnap try

MANILA, Philippines -  Two policemen assigned to the Malolos, Bulacan police station were identified as two of three men who reportedly tried to kidnap a Chinese man in Monumento, Caloocan City last Tuesday.

Lin Han Zhang identified Police Officer 3 Danilo Sytamco Jr. and Police Officer 2 Zerzes Sarmiento, both assigned to the Malolos police’s anti-drug unit, from the station’s photo gallery Wednesday night, according to an operative who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The third man, who reportedly drove a white Honda Civic (ATA-888) used in the kidnapping, has yet to be identified “because he was not in the pictures and he left the vehicle,” according to the source.

The vehicle was traced to its former owner, Arlene Lustre of Calumpit, Bulacan, who claimed that she had sold the white 1993 model Civic to a certain PO1 Dan Dan Sytamco.

Caloocan police chief Senior Superintendent Ariel Arcinas said Sarmiento escaped an attempt to take him into custody at his house in Dagat-dagatan yesterday morning.

Lin’s interpreter told The STAR the victim is the husband of a banker, who is involved in stocks and money markets, in Fookien. He arrived in the Philippines last year to scout for business opportunities.

The interpreter said Lin had been living lavishly and “attracted” many friends in Binondo and the Chinese temple where he worships. One of Lin’s friends may have tipped off his kidnappers, the interpreter said.

Lin told investigators that he was about to ride the train at the Light Rail Transit’s Monumento station at around 4 p.m. Tuesday when two men handcuffed him and took him to a vehicle driven by a third man.

He alleged that his kidnappers talked to someone on their cell phone. They later demanded P8 million from him, threatening him that they will “plant shabu” on him, Lin said.

He was brought to the Malolos police station, where he escaped from the car at around 11 p.m. after his kidnappers fell asleep. He boarded a bus to Balintawak, took a cab and told the driver to take him to Quiapo, Manila, according to Senior Police Officer 1 Rodel Benitez.

Lin panicked when he saw police officers manning a checkpoint in Quiapo. He ran until he reached the Manila Golf Club in Intramuros, where a security guard saw him roaming in the golf course and alerted police officers manning the Intramuros precinct.

Caloocan police officers went to the Manila Police District yesterday afternoon to work on transferring the case to the Northern Police District.