Police tag sacked SWAT cop as kidnap gang leader

Police yesterday tagged a former policeman assigned to Cebu City’s Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) unit as the leader of a kidnap-for-ransom gang that operated in the cities of Cebu and Talisay and was allegedly behind the abduction of a former overseas workers.

Charges of kidnapping for ransom and carnapping were yesterday filed against PO3 Lee Colina and his three cohorts before the Talisay City Prosecutors’ Office.

According to Senior Supt. Manuel Natu-el Jr, director of the Cebu City Police Office, the policeman was dropped from their roster last June 7 for being AWOL for over a month.

He said Colina has not reported for duty at the Punta Princesa Police Station since April 12.

Prior to his Punta Princesa assignment, Colina was with SWAT. He had logged in 20 years in the police service.

Since Colina and his two unidentified companions remain at large, the cases against them will undergo the regular preliminary investigation.

The Prosecutor’s Office will send them subpoenas to compel them to answer the allegations filed against them.

Ronelo Roble, the only member of the gang who was captured by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), was presented before Talisay City Assistant Prosecutor Jenelyn Forrosuelo at yesterday’s inquest proceeding.

With no lawyer to assist him, Roble chose not to undergo preliminary investigation.

Forrosuelo decided to elevate the charges against Roble before the Cebu City Regional Trial Court which has jurisdiction over heinous crimes committed in Talisay City. A P200,000 bail was recommended for the carnapping charges against Roble, but he shall remain in jail pending resolution of the kidnapping charge which is a non-bailable offense.

NBI supervising agents Rennan Augustus Oliva, Ermie Monsato, and Gregorio Algoso filed the charges against the respondents. Oliva said the manhunt operation against Colina and the other members of the kidnap-for-ransom group continues.

“We continuously pursue the suspects. But in case they won’t be located for now, cases await them,” Oliva said.

The NBI considered the Colina Kidnap-For-Ransom Group to be “organized” considering that they even have a safehouse. “We encouraged those who fell prey to this group to come out and file complaints. Some victims may just give in to the group’s demands which is not that big. If we won’t stop them, they will continue what they are doing,” he said.

Monsanto, the NBI team leader, said Colina was present during the abduction of Rene Boy Agraviador, a former overseas worker, in Talisay City Sunday evening. Colina was also present during the pay off, he added.

The NBI conducted an entrapment against the respondents outside the Cebu Evergreen Memorial Park in Talisay City Monday morning.

A shootout ensued after one of the suspects, Wane Tiaño, refused to surrender and fired at the agents.

Tiaño died while an NBI agent was wounded in the ensuing firefight.

The group purportedly demanded P50,000 from Agraviador’s wife in exchange for his release

Agraviador, 29, returned home to Cebu last January after working abroad.

The NBI seized Tiaño’s .45 caliber pistol, the P50,000 supposed ransom money, a cellular phone, identification cards and a badge of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police, wallet, a red hanky with Latin words and a medal which were believed to be used as amulet by the suspect. with Chito Aragon