Abducted trader rescued

Agents of the elite Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER) have rescued a 26-year-old businessman and arrested seven of his alleged kidnappers in separate operations in Ilocos Norte and Panga—sinan.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said kidnap victim Jimmy Ting was rescued last Monday morning at the boundary of the two Ilocos provinces. Ting was snatched last Oct. 8 in Barangay Libtong, Meycauayan, Bulacan.

President Arroyo commended police officials for Ting’s rescue, at the PACER headquarters at Camp Crame yesterday.

The arrested suspects were identified as Fernando Gascon, 32, and his elder brother Efren, 38; Ricardo Salazar, 36; Elmer Valenzuela, 32; Rolando Estrella, 45; Danilo Bergonia, 35; and Jay Gregorio, 28, the alleged gang leader.

Ebdane said the gang is relatively new since it is not on PACER’s list of 21 kidnapping syndicates, seven of which have been neutralized since July.

PNP officials said the gang’s ploy to divide themselves into two groups — one in Badoc, Ilocos Norte and the other in Rosales, Pangasinan — was meant to mislead authorities.

Police recovered only P679,000 of the P1.7-million ransom paid by Ting’s family.