ARRESTED KIDNAPPERS: WHO'S LYING, PDEA OR JAYLO?

WHO's telling the truth?

This question cropped up yesterday after six men were arrested Monday in
Makati after they kidnapped an FX taxi driver and then demanded a ransom of
P150,000 from the victim's family.

An official report from the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs
Special Operations Task Force said the six are members of the Presidential
Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force headed by former Manila police Capt.
Reynaldo H. Jaylo.

But in a radio interview yesterday, Jaylo denied that the six were his
agents, saying they were members of Task Force Hunter which he used to head
when he was still connected with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

The six were identified as ex-Police Officer 3 Elmer C. Avancena, 41; Jaime
C. Popioco, 53; Gil L. Grefaldeo, 33; Gil B. Nazareno, 25; Nolasco C.
Taytay, 31; and Senior Fire Officer 2 Generoso C. Jaymalin, 50.

A case for kidnapping-for ransom and robbery-extortion will be filed
against the suspects by the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response.

The police were still looking for another suspect identified as Tony Jabalo
as of yesterday.

Jaylo stressed that he would not intercede in behalf of the agents, saying
they must answer for their crime.

"Kailangang managot sila sa kasalanan nila," he said.

Jaylo, however, could not explain why the suspects were carrying a mission
order and mission receipt with his signature.

AID-SOTF 2nd Special Operations Unit commander Supt. Arnold M. Aguilar said
the suspects also yielded two cal. .45 pistols and a 9mm semi-automatic
pistol, plus P6,000 in marked bills paid to them by Alfonso Policarpio,
father of FX driver Rizaldo, 37.

Rizaldo was reportedly abducted by the suspects last August 1 at the
vicinity of Evangelista St. in Barangay Bangkal, Makati City for alleged
drug possession.

Aguilar said their investigation showed that Avancena and the other
suspects brought Rizaldo in front of the Rizal Memorial Complex in Manila
where they ordered him to call his father and ask for P150,000 in exchange
for his safe release.

The elder Policarpio said he went to the Rizal Memorial Complex where the
PAIRTF holds office. After talking to Avancena, the suspects released
Rizaldo to him after he gave a downpayment of P4,000.

In the days that followed, the suspects repeatedly called up the elder
Policarpio demanding from him the balance of the ransom.

This prompted him to seek the help of the AID-SOTF headed by Deputy
Director General Edgar B. Aglipay which in turn coordinated with the
National Anti-Kidnapping-for-Ransom Task Force in setting up an entrapment.

On Monday, AID-SOTF and NAKTAF elements led by Aguilar, Insp. Gilbert
Farinas and Capt. Jeffrey Villarosa positioned themselves strategically in
and outside the house of the Policarpios on Evangelista St. and waited for
the suspects to collect the money.

Aguilar said that the suspects arrived on board a white Toyota Revo with
license plate XJH 776 and parked in front of the Policarpio's house. One of
the men inside the car, clad in a Philippine Long Distance Telephone
Company uniform, went inside the house.

The man who was later identified as Avancena later emerged from the house
carrying a plastic bag. Aguilar said they made the arrests when the elder
Policarpio gave them the signal that the deal had been consummated.