'Doce Pares' gang leader arrested in Tarlac

MANILA, Philippines -  After seven years in hiding, a former policeman tagged as the leader of the “Doce Pares” gang – responsible for a series of kidnapping and robbery cases in Metro Manila and Rizal province – was arrested in Tarlac on Tuesday.

Ex-PO2 Joel Tapec, listed as the third most wanted person of the Eastern Police District (EPD) with a P275,000 bounty for his capture, was cornered in Barangay Poblacion 4, Moncada town at around 2 p.m.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said a civilian informant led Chief Inspector Augusto Pasamonte, Moncada police chief, to the whereabouts of Tapec.

Senior Superintendent Alfred Corpus, Tarlac police director, said Tapec was the prime suspect in the kidnap-slay of engineer Michael Chua Chan, 44, in Quezon City and the killing of one-year-old Erica Charlene Guevarra, during a robbery attempt in Cainta, Rizal, both in September 2005.

Initial investigation showed that Tapec was armed with a 9mm Beretta pistol when cornered by Moncada policemen.

Bartolome said Doce Pares gang is composed of nine policemen and three civilians.

The illegal activities of the gang was discovered when three of its members, ex-PO1s Candido Vallejo, Roel Palaña and Roger Villarante of the EPD’s District Mobile Group were arrested for the killing of Guevarra in Cainta, Rizal on Sept. 14, 2005.

When the suspects’ pictures were flashed on television a day after the killing of Guevarra, a security guard recognized Vallejo as one of the kidnappers of Chan.

When confronted by the security guards during the tactical interrogation, Vallejo broke down and confessed his role in Chan’s kidnapping. – Non Alquitran, Ric Sapnu