SCALAWAG NCRPO chief Guillermo Eleazar presents PO1 Jaycee Abana.鈥擬ARIANNE BERMUDEZ
An active police officer and four of his cohorts were arrested in Makati City on Thursday after kidnapping a Chinese national and demanding a P1-million ransom.
PO2 Jaycee Abana, 28,聽 of Makati police鈥檚 vehicle traffic investigation unit, was caught in an entrapment operation by his fellow police investigators in Makati at Nicanor Garcia Street, Barangay Poblacion, around 1:30 a.m.
Also arrested were Mohalil Macapundag, 34, and his younger brothers Muhamad and Mohalem, both 28; and Wenceslao Sevellejo, 44.
The victims, Chinese nationals Changbo Fang and Fang Zhang Bao, were on board their Lexus IS 300 sedan when a white Mitsubishi Montero SUV (with plate number NDA 707) started flashing its headlights at their direction. This prompted them to park their car in front of Jazz Mall.
Held at gunpoint
In a press conference on Friday, Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said Abana held the two Chinese men at gunpoint and ordered his companions to take their wallets and cash.
Fang was further held captive inside the Montero owned by Abana, police confirmed. But Bao聽 was able to run away from the suspects.
Eleazar said Fang was told to call his relatives and friends 鈥渢o produce P1 million as ransom, otherwise he will be killed.鈥�
Upon negotiation, the ransom was reduced to P80,000.
Fang鈥檚 friends then reported the abduction to Makati police, which then conducted the entrapment.
Authorities were able to rescue Fang, and recover Abana鈥檚 service firearm, a 9-mm Glock pistol, the P80,000 ransom money and the P8,000 they earlier took away from the victims.
Asked what may have prompted Abana to resort to moonlight as a criminal, Eleazar said they had received reports that Abana was 鈥渁ddicted to casino games,鈥� claiming that the policeman鈥檚 SUV was bought from his 鈥渃asino proceeds.鈥濃�擶ITH REPORTS FROM ROSELIE MARI VILLAFLOR AND KRISTEL LIMPOT