3 killed as new kidnap tack backfires

MANILA, Philippines—Three men were killed soon after they resorted to what police said was a new modus operandi in the province of Rizal: pay ransom now, or be kidnapped later.

Efren Bermudez, Sonny Batis and Virgilio Rayga allegedly opted to shoot it out with policemen when they sensed that they were surrounded by operatives at what was supposed to have been a payoff by a businessman early Saturday morning near Barangay Makamot in Binangonan.

The businessman, who owns a construction company in Antipolo City, made the P200,000 payment mostly with fake money, upon the prodding of authorities he had sought assistance from.

According to Senior Supt. Manuel Prieto, Rizal provincial police chief, the businessman, whose identity has been withheld, approached the police last week after he received text messages demanding that he pay P500,000, or run the risk of him or any one of his loved ones being kidnapped.

The amount was later reduced to P200,000 after some haggling.

“The businessman freaked out when he saw that the people behind the threatening messages seemed to know a lot about him and his family.…They knew where he lived, and even knew who his friends were,” Prieto said.

The strategy slightly differs from the one employed by kidnap-for-ransom groups, who resort to kidnapping first before demanding that a certain amount be paid in exchange for their victim’s release.

“This is the first time this happened here. It’s a good thing the businessman went to the police as soon as he received the messages,” Prieto told the Inquirer.

Prieto said that a drop-off point was set somewhere between Cainta and Antipolo, at 11:30 p.m. on Friday, but this did not push through.

The suspects’ bodies are now with the Scene of the Crime Operatives, the police official added.