WHILE Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday said two of the kidnappers behind the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) attack have already been identified by authorities last Sunday evening.
Police Regional Office (PRO) in Davao Region, said on Wednesday they are still verifying the information that the two arrested men were involved in the kidnapping incident last September 21.
The two men identified as Bandajarin Dangin Adona and Tirso Lugnasin are currently at the Davao Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) undergoing investigation.
PRO Davao spokesperson Antonio Rivera said that the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Ocean View is reviewing their copy of the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) footages to determine if the two suspects were present during the abduction of three foreign nationals and a Filipina.
Operatives from the CIDG Davao served a warrant of arrest (WOA) issued by Judge Dorothy P. Montejo-Gonzaga of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 3 in Compostela Valley around 11 p.m. in Barangay Tibungco last Sunday against Adona for crimes committed including kidnapping, murder, and serious illegal detention.
"Tinitingnan pa namin kung may possible involvement ba sa kidnapping itong dalawa since may kaso din silang kidnapping, ire-review pa ng SITG Ocean View ang mga footages upang malaman kung kasali ba sila sa 11 na bandido na pumasok sa resort," Rivera told the media during the AFP-PNP press conference held Wednesday morning at The Ritz Hotel at Garden Oases.
Rivera said they filed additional charges against the two suspects for illegal possession of explosives and firearms after the CIDG-Davao recovered a .38 caliber revolver, fragmentation grenade, and .45 caliber pistol.
"The operation was not in relation to the kidnapping incident. Inimplement yung Oplan Pagtutugis against wanted criminals so hindi pa natin masasabi na connected sila doon sa kidnapping sa Samal but we will look into every possibility," Rivera said.
Rivera, however, confirmed that they did not receive any call from the alleged kidnappers for any ransom demand even if the incident happened two weeks ago. "Wala pa ring tumatawag asking a ransom in exchange for the safe release of the kidnap victims," he said in the vernacular.
"We are double-checking the evidence that we have to establish the identities of the personalities and groups behind the kidnapping incident in Samal," he added.