NBI: NCRPO cops sued for drug suspects’ kidnap

MANILA, Philippines — Eleven anti-drug operatives from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) were charged with kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of four drug suspects, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clarified yesterday.

Lawyer Eduardo Ramos, the lead investigator in the case, made the clarification in response to a report published by The STAR that the police officers were involved in the case of the missing cockfight aficionados or “sabungeros,” which was investigated by the Senate.

“The investigation on the disappearances is related to drug offenses, not the missing sabungeros,” he told The STAR yesterday, referring to drug suspects Garry Matreo Jr., siblings Gio and Mico Mateos – not Mateo as previously reported – and Ronaldo Anonuevo, who were all kidnapped on April 13, 2021.

Included in the complaint are the following NCRPO Regional Drug Enforcement Unit officers: the former NCRPO RDEU chief Col. Ryan Jay Orapa; Lt. Jesus Menez; S/Sgts. Roy Pioquinto and Robert Raz; and Cpls. Alric Natividad, Troy Paragas, Ronald Lanaria, Ronald Montibon, Reynaldo Seno, Ruscel Solomon and Christal Rosita.

The following police assets or informants were also included in the complaint: Nicasio and Nicholes Manio, a certain Angelo Atienza and a certain “Boss Mark.”

They face charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention and violating Republic Act 10353, the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act.

The NBI was able to obtain closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the accused police officers and their informants entering a well-known restaurant cafe in Tagaytay City to have breakfast before boarding their vehicles to carry out the kidnappings on April 13, 2021.

The NBI pieced together CCTV footage that showed the victims’ kidnappings were carried out by the suspects using a black Hyundai Accent, black Honda Civic and a silver Hyundai Accent – in Alfonso, Cavite in the case of the Mateos siblings and Matreo, and in Dasmariñas City in the case of Anonuevo.

According to a News5 report that aired on April 22, 2021 on their kidnapping, the Mateos siblings and their friend Matreo were allegedly involved in peddling marijuana and party drugs.

Connection to sabungeros

The four missing men were the subject of anti-drug operations, according to pre-operation reports by the police and the coordination reports with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, according to the NBI complaint. The accused police officers were named in the reports as operatives in the drug sting.

NBI investigator Ramos said the case of the four drug suspects’ disappearance is only connected to the case involving the missing sabungeros because of the involvement of informants Nicasio and Nicholes Manio in the disappearance of online sabong master agent Johnver Francisco and Franc Tabaranza.

Francisco and Tabaranza were taken in Meycauayan, Bulacan on April 18, 2021, two days after the four drug suspects’ kidnapping. The NBI task force against illegal drugs is only investigating cases of kidnapping in connection with anti-drug operations, Ramos said.

The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, led by former police chief and now Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, looked into the cases of 34 sabungeros who went missing since last year.

The names of Mateos and Matreos were not among the list of sabungeros, according to the Senate committee report. But the report included the names of Francisco and Tabaranza among those still missing in connection with the sabungeros probe.

Meanwhile, Orapa, the two police assets Manio and another police officer, S/Sgt. Denar Roda, faced an additional NBI complaint for perjury and serious dishonesty because they denied knowing each other during the April 18 Senate hearing.

Their denial runs counter to the sworn affidavits of the two Manios admitting their role as police assets, as well as CCTV footage that showed the police personnel with the two informants, according to the NBI. The two Manios are under NBI custody for their involvement in the kidnappings.

Orapa, in the Senate hearing, has denied the allegation that his anti-drug operations were used as a ploy to kidnap people.