Friday, March 10, 2006
Crusader furious over release of 4 wanted men
CEBU CITY -- The president of a business group in Cebu wants to know why four suspected members of a kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) gang were released, when they are wanted for two counts of kidnapping charges in Metro Manila.
Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Robert Go said anti-kidnapping crusader Teresita Ang See was furious when she visited the Presidential Anti-Crime Emergency Response (Pacer) to get more information on the four suspects.
A warrant for the arrest for one Jerry Pepino was forwarded by Pacer central office here, but police are yet to verify if Jerry is the same Jessie Rueras Pepino arrested at the airport.
Senior Superintendent Augusto Marquez, chief of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID), told RPN news that the warrant against Pepino was for a 2004 kidnapping case in Parañaque City.
Jessie was arrested along with his brother Ronald Dando Pepino and Richard Gulfan Orayan at the airport last Sunday morning. Crisologo Puzon was later arrested when he sought for their release at the PCAS office.
Aside from bogus military and police identifications, several high-powered firearms were seized from the Pepino brothers and Orayan at the airport. Bogus IDs were also seized from Puzon.
Marquez declined to confirm that the four were members of a kidnap-for-ransom gang, saying they have yet to establish their purpose here.
The RIID even wanted to find out if the P6 million worth of jewelry stolen from Exquisite Pawnshop on A.S. Fortuna St., Mandaue City was used to post bail.
But Provincial Intelligence and Investigation Branch (PIIB) Chief Juanito Enguerra was certain the four men were KFR gang members.
Both Marquez and Enguerra believed that the four were in Cebu for another purpose, not kidnapping.
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation 7 has identified the owner of the Mazda sedan that the suspects used when they were caught.
The car is registered under one Leonidas Rafols, whose address does not show up in the Land Transportation Office databank.
Provincial Intelligence and Investigation Branch Chief Juanito Enguerra, however, admitted that the four have already left Cebu.
At the airport, General Manager Adelberto F. Yap and the Police Center for Aviation Security (PCAS) were dismayed at the release of the four suspects, after they posted bail of P10,000 for usurpation of authority last Tuesday.
“Sayang ang among accomplishment in arresting the alleged kidnappers when only a lesser crime was filed by the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office against them before the court,” said Supt. Jose Cosio of PCAS said.
The prosecutor said illegal possession of firearms was merely incidental to the usurpation of authority case.
Superintendent Louie Oppus, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police, washed his hands off the release, saying they were only the jailer of the suspects.
“We are trying to do our part. The four were detained at the Lapu-Lapu City police jail for two days, but we had to release them because of the court order,” Oppus said.
Oppus said the four could not have been released even with the MTCC order had Pacer or the Military Intelligence Group informed them that they have pending kidnapping cases in Metro Manila.
In another interview over ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol, Marquez expressed disappointment that a police officer assigned at the Cebu Provincial Police Office failed to report the presence of the suspected KFR group in Lapu-Lapu City, long before their arrest.
But PO3 Roger Baguio explained that he did not think they were suspicious because they were “kind” and brought with them bibles, not guns.
Baguio told TV Patrol reporter Junrey Nadela that he recognized the four men because they rented a room in his brother’s house in Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City.
Baguio, though, could not recall how long ago this was but admitted he was familiar with them and was able to talk to them. (MEA/EOB/OCP of Sun.Star Cebu)
(March 10, 2006 issue)
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