Pubdate: Tue, 17 Aug 2004
Source: Manila Times (Philippines)
Copyright: 2004, The Manila Times
Contact:  http://www.manilatimes.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/921
Author: Ben Gamos, Central Luzon Bureau
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.)

POLICE NAB 4 CIVILIAN AGENTS FOR KIDNAP

CAMP GENERAL ALEJO S. SANTOS, Bulacan-Chief Supt. Videl E. Querol, Central 
Luzon police director, has called for the dismissal of civilian agents in 
law enforcement agencies after two Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 
(PDEA) civilian agents were arrested Monday for kidnapping.

Querol identified the arrested PDEA civilian agents Delfin Rodriguez Santos 
Jr., 49, and Antonio Gutierrez Ong, 52, both married. They were nabbed 
during an entrapment laid out by the Marilao police at a fast-food outlet 
while receiving ransom money demanded from kidnapped victims George 
Carolino Galuco, 20, and his wife, Maricel Pascual, 20, at 12:30 a.m. 
Monday. The young couple are engaged in the garments business.

Querol noted that the employment of civilian agents by law enforcement 
agencies has given the agencies a bad image owing to their "extra-legal 
operations."

Police confiscated from the arrested suspects a 45-caliber pistol marked 
Auto Ordinance, with Serial Number AO396161, and a .9mm pistol marked 
Armscor, with Serial Number 883827, ammunition for the firearms and P10,000 
in marked money used in the operations.

Their third cohort managed to escape.

Police said during the custodial investigation that the arrested pair 
turned out to be  civilian agents of the PDEA. They each had a PDEA 
identification card signed by one police Chief Insp. Manuel Chica, whose 
designation at the PDEA, however, was not mentioned by the police.

Supt. Felizardo M. Serapio Jr., Bulacan police provincial director, said 
Santos and Ong, suspected members of a kidnap-for-ransom group, and an 
unidentified cohort were riding a Toyota Corolla when they abducted the 
couple at 11 p.m. Sunday on the MacArthur Highway in Barangay Saluysuy, 
Meycauayan.

The group released the husband and initially demanded P40,000 for the safe 
release of his wife. The suspects told Galuco that the pay off should be at 
the Burger Machine stall in Barangay Tabig Ilog in Marilao.

But instead of cooperating, Galuco reported the incident to the Marilao 
police who immediately laid out a plan that led to the arrest of the 
suspects and the rescue of Mrs. Galuco.

Serapio ordered Supt. Arnold Gunnacao, chief of the Bulacan police 
intelligence and investigation branch, to dig deeper into the case to 
determine the linkage of Santos and Ong with kidnapping groups operating in 
Bulacan, Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart