Saturday, August 09, 2008 Rewards for arrest of kidnap-slay suspect raised
SUSPECTED kidnap-murderer Mariano "Spider" de Leon has joined the list of Cavite's most wanted persons after anti-crime advocates hiked to P500,000 the reward offered for his arrest.
De Leon, along with seven others are facing criminal charges for Kidnapping for Ransom and Double Murder before a Pasay City court in connection with the killing of retired pilot Demosthenes Cañete and driver Allan Garay.
De Leon and another co-accused, policeman Reniel Abogado alias Dondon, remain at large and are the subject of nationwide manhunt operations by the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (Pacer).
A warrant of arrest for de Leon and Abogado was issued by the Judge Pedro Gutierrez of Pasay Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 119 last month.
Cavite anti-crime advocates and friends of Cañete offered the reward of P500,000 for de Leon, and P150,000 for Abogado.
"We hope that this reward offer will encourage citizens to provide information that will lead to the early arrest of these wanted persons," Pacer Chief Leonardo Espina said.
Six other accused in the crime are now detained without bail. They are former Dasmariñas, Cavite vice mayor Victor Carungcong, spouses Chief Inspectors Exequiel and Penelope Cautiver, policeman Rick Selga, Alejandrito Entolizo Jr., and Gary Pateo.
The families of Cañete and Garay welcome the reward offer that will "hasten law enforcement efforts to account for and make these criminals pay for their crime."
Speaking on behalf of the family, lawyer Joann Cañete-Chan, daughter of the murdered victim, expressed gratitude to police and prosecution authorities for the swift action.
"We look forward to the day when all those who conspired in this crime will be locked behind bars for good," Chan said.
Espina expressed confidence of a successful prosecution of the case.
"We are presenting in court an air-tight case that establishes the individual and collective participation of the accused in this criminal conspiracy," he said. (VR/Sunnex)
