Mining exec escapes captors; gang leader, 2 others nabbed

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines - – A supervisor of a mining company based in Camariñes Norte yesterday escaped from his kidnappers, who held him for 24 days at an apartment in Bacoor City, Cavite.

Responding policemen arrested the alleged leader of the kidnapping group and two other suspects in a raid that followed at the syndicate’s safehouse in Bayan ng Pag-asa Village.

The victim, Josue Tuibeo, 27, was subjected to a medical check up, while the suspects identified as Felizado Pagulayan and his henchmen – Danilo Glipa and Anthony Peralta – were detained, according to Cavite police director Senior Superintendent Joselito Esquivel.

Esquivel said Pagulayan ranked 10th in the list of most wanted men in the National Capital Region and has a P500,000 bounty for his arrest.

The group was said to be responsible in a series of kidnappings in Metro Manila and in Bicol region.

Tuibeo was kidnapped by five armed men in Camariñes Norte on Sept. 18, according to Superintendent Romano Cardiño, intelligence and investigation chief of the Cavite police.

The gunmen hid him in Bacoor City as the suspects negotiated with his family for the ransom payment. Cardiño said the kidnappers demanded P60 million from Tuibeo’s parents in exchange for his freedom.

He said Tuibeo managed to remove the chain that bound his feet and escaped through a small window. Tuibeo sought the help of barangay officials who reported the matter to the Bacoor police at about 6 a.m.

“There was no commotion or firefight between the police and kidnappers. They peacefully gave themselves up to the police,” Cardiño said.

The suspects yielded two caliber .45 pistols, and several cell phones and SIM cards.

Cardiño said a team was formed to hunt down the two other kidnappers. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe