5 nabbed for ex-Albay board member’s slay

Five suspects, including the alleged mastermind, have been arrested after they were implicated in  the murder of a businessman from Albay province  and his driver.

Jose Saribong, 52, a former provincial board member of Albay who was kidnapped  on  Jan. 23 in Antipolo City, was found dead last Saturday.

Senior Supt. Renato Gumban,  head of the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) said in a news  conference on Monday  that the businessman was killed even after his family paid a ransom of P890,000, apparently because the victim knew his abductors from their business dealings. Gumban said they were able to find  the suspects after one of them voluntarily surrendered to the PNP-AKG.

Saribong and his driver, Jimmy Palermo, were traversing Golden Meadows Avenue in Barangay (village) Mayamot, Quezon City,  on their way home when their car was blocked by a silver sports utility vehicle with three armed men in it.

One of the suspects shot Palermo as he tried to intervene, while Saribong was dragged into the suspects’ vehicle, police said.

Palermo died later in a hospital where he was brought for treatment.

Saribong’s body was found in Forest Hills, Cogeo, Antipolo City, on  Feb.  2.

Gumban said the businessman’s  family deposited P890,000 in a bank  on Jan. 31 as instructed by the abductors.

A source said Saribong was already dead even before his family paid the ransom, quoting an account from one of the suspects, Randy Tagalogon, who voluntarily surrendered to authorities on Feb. 2.

“Maybe the kidnap victim knew his abductors. Or it could be  business-related,” Gumban  said.

Tagalogon led authorities to a house where Saribong was held in Cogeo, Antipolo City,   owned by the alleged mastermind, Stanley Mark Banghulot.  Banghulot was apprehended later by police.

Policemen from the AKG, the Special Operations Division-Highway Patrol Group  and the Rizal Police Provincial Office who conducted the joint operation reportedly found a cal. .45 pistol and  ammunition on Banghulot.

Follow-up operations by police in different locations in Antipolo led to the arrest of the other suspects.

On the trail

Roger Mirabite and Roger Escopolo were traced to a farm owned by Banghulot at Barangay San Isidro in  Antipolo.

The other  suspect was identified as Teody Manghuyop.

Saribong’s body was brought to Heritage Park in Taguig City.

“We condole with his (Saribong) bereaved family, relatives, friends and constituents. Together, we feel the pain of losing one of Albay’s promising leaders,” said Albay Gov. Joey Salceda in a statement.

The victim,  a native of Libon town, was elected provincial board member in 2004, representing the third district of Albay.

As board member, he was chairman of the committees on labor and cooperative development, and the committee on environmental protection.

After his one-term stint, Saribong moved  to Metro Manila  where he set up several businesses, including a job recruitment agency for Filipinos wishing to work abroad.