By JEL SANTOS
A police officer and his four cohorts were arrested early Thursday morning after they allegedly kidnapped a Chinese national and demanded money from his family in Makati City.
Police Officer 2 Jaycee Abanda, 28, an investigator of Makati City police traffic division, was apprehended after he and his four companions exacted money from the family of the kidnap victim identified as Changbo Fang, 22, of Barangay San Antonio, Makati.
National Capital Region Police Officer (NCRPO) Regional Director Guillermo Eleazar identified the other suspects as Mohalem Macapundag, 28; Muhamad Macapundag, 34; Mohalil Macapundag, 30; and Wenceslao Sevellejo, 44.
Senior Supt. Rogelio Simon, Makati police chief, said Fang was travelling with his pal Fang Zhang Bao along Nicanor Garcia St. in Barangay Poblacion, Makati, when they were stopped by Abanda using his white Montero at 1:30 a.m.
“Abanda stopped their car. Then he approached them and pointed a gun at Fang, ordering them to open the car,” he said during a press conference.
After opening the door, Bao escaped and ran quickly, leaving behind his friend inside his car with Abanda.
Bao informed their friends about what happened. They proceeded to the Makati Police Station and reported the incident.
Simon said Abanda talked to the family of Fang and asked for R1 million.
“At first, they were asking the family of Fang to produce R1 million. They negotiated and ended up agreeing to pay R800,000 instead,” Simon said.
Abanda and his cohorts, according to reports, were arrested in an entrapment operation on the same street where the Chinese national was held inside his car.
The cohorts were not armed, police said.
Simon said the Makati police team did not have any idea that the leader of the kidnapping group was a cop.
“We just learned that he was a cop after we asked for his identification card. Sadly, he was one of my men,” the Makati police chief said.
Simon further revealed that they received information before that “Abanda was an addict of casino games.” But police said they did not take action because they had no proof.
The Makati police chief said that Abanda, in March, allegedly took the personal belongings of a foreigner. Yet, the foreigner did not press charges against him.
Abanda declined to give a statement, saying he “will wait for his lawyer.”
Eleazar appealed to the public especially those victimized to come out.
“I am urging those who were victimized to come out. We will not tolerate such wrongdoings,” the NCRPO regional director said.
Meantime, the traffic division head of Makati police, Chief Inspector Ferdinand Satorre, was relieved from his post pending probe.
“We are still looking into the possibility that there were other police involved,” Simon said.