6 in kidnap of Letran student get life terms

MANILA, Philippines — The Manila Regional Court (RTC) yesterday sentenced to life in prison six persons for the 2018 kidnapping of a fellow college student and making it appear as part of hazing rites.

Judge Marlo Malagar of the Manila RTC Branch 19 convicted Jhulius Atabay, Justine Mahipus, Ferdinand dela Vega Jr., Ralph Emmanuel Camaya, Billy Joel Rocillo and Gabriel Rabi for kidnapping and illegally detaining Denzhel Alexandre Gomez.

The victim was waiting for a bus near the LRT-1 Central Station in Manila on Aug. 1, 2018 when he was kidnapped.

Most of the convicts were students of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

The victim and his family watched the virtual promulgation of the verdict in the office of the police Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) at Camp Crame in Quezon City, according to the Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) whose founding chairperson is Teresita Ang See.

In a phone interview yesterday, MRPO chairman Ka Kuen Chua told The STAR that “several people in the Zoom platform cried” when asked if the accused and their parents broke down when the conviction was handed down.

“It was a very emotional decision. All of them were in the early 20s. No parent would want this to happen, but justice has to be served,” Chua said.

Gomez, then age 19, was dragged into a vehicle at gunpoint. He was blindfolded and taken to a safehouse in Tondo, where he was tied up and detained on Aug. 1, 2018.

The victim was rescued by members of the AKG two days later.

Atabay, who masterminded the kidnapping, contacted Gomez’s parents and demanded P30 million in ransom for the victim’s release, according to fellow convict Mahipus.

They were described by then Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde as being “young… with criminal minds.”

“This is not part of hazing. The victim was kidnapped on the street, forced inside a vehicle and tied up. For us, once you are taken out of your own will and money is demanded, that is kidnapping,” Chua said.