Police nab three kidnapping suspects in Makati City

By Ronron
June 12, 2007

Three suspected kidnappers arrested by police in Makati City early last week were presented to the media on Tuesday.

Supt. Marcelo Morales, Operations Officer of the Police Anti Crime and Emergency Response (PACER), identified the suspects as Sr. Insp. Eleazar Sieton, Jonathan Melgo, and Amad Tallib Hasan.

Morales said Sieton is assigned with the Police Regional Office 12 but is on Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) status; Melgo is a former member of the Philippine Army; and Hasan, who carries the alias Ahmad Talib Guiamad, is a vendor at Novaliches, Quezon City.

Morales said the three are suspects in the abduction last May 24 of a Pakistani national who has a business in Makati City. The Pakistani, Morales said, now has a Filipino citizenship.

Morales said the three were arrested last June 3 on N. Garcia Street, Makati City during an entrapment operation by PACER operatives. The suspects, he said, were on their way to meet a relative of their victim at that time.

Morales disclosed that the relatives of the victim had made prior contacts with the PACER for possible rescue operations. This after the suspects refused to release the Pakistani last June 2 despite the payment of ransom with an undisclosed amount.

Morales said the suspects have demanded P50 million from the family of the victim, whom they abducted last May 24 outside his shop in Makati City.

Five armed men wearing police uniforms and jackets forcibly took the victim and escaped aboard a silver gray Toyota Innova (plate number XBZ-333).

During the operation, the PACER operatives intercepted a white taxicab that was carrying the three suspects and the victim who was blindfolded.

Morales said recovered from the suspects were P17,000 cash which is part of the ransom payment, and three mobile phones, one of which was used by the suspects in communicating with the family of their victim.

Morales said a case of kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom had been filed against the three before the Department of Justice.

As a member of the Philippine National Police, Sieton, according to Morales, will also face a separate administrative case.

Morales said they suspect that the arrested suspects have 10 more companions at large, most of whom are active or former members of the uniformed service.

“Our manhunt teams are now conducting intelligence and follow up operations,” he said.

Morales said he is saddened by the involvement of a policeman in the crime, saying the latter is supposed to enforce the law and not go against it.

“But we will not tolerate policemen who violate the law. So it is just right that he be punished according to law,” Morales said of Sieton, who is a native of Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat./DMS