‘Kidnap gang leader,’ partner nabbed at Pasay luxury resort

MANILA, Philippines—After avoiding capture in Davao City last year, an alleged leader of a kidnapping syndicate was arrested Thursday night together with his live-in partner at an upscale address in Pasay City.

The hunt for Reccinte “Teng” Padillo led authorities to his unit at Newport Residential Resort, a luxury development in Pasay, where the man was served a warrant in connection with the kidnapping of a Filipino-Chinese businesswoman in Quezon City.

The arresting team, which included policemen from Abra province, served another arrest warrant on Padillo and his live-in partner, Yasmin Cruz, for allegedly committing large-scale estafa that victimized two local politicians in Abra.

Padillo was tagged as the leader of the group that abducted Sally Chua at her Quezon City office on July 5, 2013.

The kidnappers took Chua, 52, on a six-day ride that passed through Albay and Leyte provinces and Butuan City before ending in Davao City. Along the way, her captors initially demanded a P100-million ransom but Chua negotiated to bring it down to P15 million.

After withdrawing some money from a bank in Butuan, she convinced them that she could get the balance from a bank in Davao City, where she was eventually rescued by members of the Philippine National Police-Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) and the local police on July 11.

In the ensuing shootout outside the bank in Davao, three gang members were killed, one was captured, while two others escaped.

One of those who managed to escape was Padillo, according to PNP-AKG chief Senior Supt. Roberto Fajardo.

Padillo, “one of the PNP-AKG’s most wanted,” was arrested on a warrant issued by Quezon City Judge Bernelito Fernandez of Regional Trial Court Branch 97, who is hearing the Chua case, Fajardo added.

Padillo and his partner Cruz are also accused of large-scale estafa by two Abra politicians—San Juan town Mayor Marco Bautista and former Bucay town Mayor Rodolfo Bernardez IV, the official said.

The arrest warrant in the estafa case was issued by Judge Corpuz Alzarte of Bangued, Abra. A third suspect in the case, Ivan Estrella, remains at large.

Estrella is reportedly Padillo’s driver and bodyguard, Fajardo said.

“We are appealing to the public to help the AKG by providing vital information [about kidnapping incidents and wanted persons] through our hotline numbers: 0918-9002020, 0927-3234894 and 0272-70000,” the official said, adding that the tips would be treated confidentially.