‘Kidnappers’ posed as PDEA agents – Bato

PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

The alleged kidnappers killed in a clash in Laguna early Tuesday pretended to be agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), police chief Dir. Gen. Ronald Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa said the five slain suspects were wearing camouflage police uniforms complete with nameplates.

Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) chief Sr. Supt. Glenn Dumlao said the gunmen who posed as PDEA agents raided on Monday the house of Ronald Arguelles in Candelaria, Quezon. The Quezon Provincial Police Office has tagged Arguelles as a high-value target for his supposed involvement in illegal drugs.

Dumlao said the men hogtied the residents and robbed the house before abducting Arguelles.

According to Dumlao, the group had repeatedly extorted from Arguelles for his involvement in illegal drugs. Arguelles was arrested and released thrice for drug trafficking, the AKG chief said.

Dela Rosa said that while Arguelles was listed as one of Quezon’s most wanted, the police had yet to file a case against him because his inclusion on the list was based on intelligence reports, which were not enough to prosecute him in court.

“Pinatunayan lang nito na hindi pulis ang may gawa (This just proves that policemen are not involved in the incident),” Dela Rosa said in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

READ: Female cop, 5 alleged kidnappers killed in Laguna shootout

Dela Rosa said that access to police uniforms remained a problem, noting that the PNP could not even control stores outside the national headquarters in Camp Crame.

He said the PNP was still looking into how to control counterfeit uniforms, such as putting serial numbers on them. /cbb