4 nabbed in failed kidnap of Indian trader in Quezon

TIAONG, Quezon, Philippines – Police arrested in San Juan, Batangas yesterday four of five armed men who earlier had tried but failed to kidnap an Indian national here.

Senior Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Quezon police director, identified the arrested suspects as Nilo Tadua, Philip Miranda, Jayson Tena, and Jake Calayan.

The fifth suspect, who managed to escape using the motorcycle of Indian trader Gurnek Singh, is being hunted, he said.

Velasquez said Singh was cruising Barangay Lagalag here on his motorcycle when his path was blocked by a Mitsubishi Lancer bearing the suspects at around 8:30 a.m. yesterday.

Singh was repeatedly struck on the head with the butt of a firearm. While being dragged into the suspects’ car, he, however, resisted and managed to run away while yelling for help.

Velasquez said four of the suspects quickly boarded their car while the other suspect took Singh’s motorcycle and sped away. 

He said Singh, although injured, managed to seek assistance from the Provincial Public Safety Company under Superintendent Allen Rae Co.

Velasquez said Co promptly formed and dispatched a team led by Senior Inspector Richard Natividad to track down the fleeing suspects.

He said the pursuing policemen spotted the suspects’ car running on high speed and finally cornered them at the town proper of San Juan in Batangas.

The four arrested suspects yielded two caliber .45 pistols, a caliber .38 revolver, two black ski masks and a piece of rope.

The suspects are now detained at the headquarters of the Provincial Public Safety Company, while Singh is confined at a hospital due to the head injury he suffered in the failed kidnapping.