Rogue cop, 4 cohorts nabbed for kidnapping

SCALAWAG NCRPO chief Guillermo Eleazar presents PO1 Jaycee Abana.—MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

An active police officer and four of his cohorts were arrested in Makati City on Thursday after kidnapping a Chinese national and demanding a P1-million ransom.

PO2 Jaycee Abana, 28,  of Makati police’s vehicle traffic investigation unit, was caught in an entrapment operation by his fellow police investigators in Makati at Nicanor Garcia Street, Barangay Poblacion, around 1:30 a.m.

Also arrested were Mohalil Macapundag, 34, and his younger brothers Muhamad and Mohalem, both 28; and Wenceslao Sevellejo, 44.

The victims, Chinese nationals Changbo Fang and Fang Zhang Bao, were on board their Lexus IS 300 sedan when a white Mitsubishi Montero SUV (with plate number NDA 707) started flashing its headlights at their direction. This prompted them to park their car in front of Jazz Mall.

Held at gunpoint

In a press conference on Friday, Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said Abana held the two Chinese men at gunpoint and ordered his companions to take their wallets and cash.

Fang was further held captive inside the Montero owned by Abana, police confirmed. But Bao  was able to run away from the suspects.

Eleazar said Fang was told to call his relatives and friends “to produce P1 million as ransom, otherwise he will be killed.”

Upon negotiation, the ransom was reduced to P80,000.

Fang’s friends then reported the abduction to Makati police, which then conducted the entrapment.

Authorities were able to rescue Fang, and recover Abana’s service firearm, a 9-mm Glock pistol, the P80,000 ransom money and the P8,000 they earlier took away from the victims.

Asked what may have prompted Abana to resort to moonlight as a criminal, Eleazar said they had received reports that Abana was “addicted to casino games,” claiming that the policeman’s SUV was bought from his “casino proceeds.”—WITH REPORTS FROM ROSELIE MARI VILLAFLOR AND KRISTEL LIMPOT