Ringleader, member of Ledesma kidnap-for-ransom group nabbed

MANILA, Philippines—Two kidnap-for-ransom gang members involved in the abduction of a Cavite businessman last April were arrested early Friday, police said.

Rodel Ledesma, alleged ringleader of the Ledesma kidnap group, and his member, identified as Gabriel Maligsa alias Gabo, were arrested around 5 a.m. in Bacoor, Cavite by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said CIDG chief Police Director Samuel Pagdilao Jr.

Southern Tagalog CIDG chief Police Senior Superintendent Bernabe Balba said that police served the search warrant for loose firearms at the hideout of the suspects that resulted to the arrest of Ledesma and Maligsa.

Confiscated from the two were a caliber 45 pistol, a 32 caliber pistol, a hand grenade, an electronic scale for illegal drugs and five sachets of “shabu,” or methamphetamine hydrochloride.

Balba said that during the investigation on the abduction of businessman Benjamin Jaro last April 1, Jaro went to the CIDG regional office in Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba City and positively identified Ledesma as among the suspects who abducted him. Jaro was freed only after the suspects agreed to reduce the ransom money from P30 million to P5 million.

Aside from Ledesma’s standing warrant of arrest for Jaro’s abduction, his group was also involved in several incidents of robbery and hijackings in Laguna, Cavite and Las Piñas areas, he said.

Balba added that Ledesma’s group is on the watch list of the Cavite CIDG for its involvement in the October 8, 2008 robbery incident in Baco, Kawit, Cavite.

Cavite and Laguna CIDG and Community Investigative Support volunteers headed by Southern Tagalog CIDG chief, Police Senior Superintendent Bernabe Balba.

The leader and a member of the Ledesma kidnap-for-ransom group tagged in the abduction of a Cavite businessman last April 2011 were arrested by elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Cavite early Friday, police said.