Ex-cop, PDEA agent, 2 others nabbed for kidnap of Chinese man

Police officials present suspects in the kidnapping of a Chinese national in Quezon City to the media. /Inquirer

A dismissed policeman, an intelligence agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), a traffic constable from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and another one were arrested after being tagged in the kidnapping of a Chinese national and theft of his family’s vehicles in Quezon City last month.

In a press conference Friday, Philippine National Police Chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde, National Capital Region Police Office Chief Chief Supt.

Guillermo Eleazar and Quezon City Police District Director Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel presented to media the four suspects after their separate arrests this week.

Albayalde identified the suspects as former PDEA Intelligence Agent 1 Arnold Camayang, 33; dismissed PO1 Mark Anthony Roque, 36, formerly assigned at the PNP-Crime Laboratory; MMDA traffic constable Alvin Jay Roque, 27; and Christian John Talaue, 22.

All are natives of Tuao, Cagayan, and are closely related to each other, the PNP chief said.

The suspects were arrested by joint operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit led by Supt. Rodelio Marcelo, Anti-Carnapping Unit led by Chief Insp. Hector Ortencio and PNP Highway Patrol Group under Chief Supt. Roberto Fajardo.

Marcelo said victim Wu Yaochui, 21, and his errand boy were on a white Toyota commuter van and were approaching a gasoline station near a membership supermarket along Congressional Avenue, Quezon City when they were blocked by two armed suspects aboard a gray Toyota commuter van around 2 p.m. last May 25.

The armed suspects, later identified as Roque and Camayang, allegedly introduced themselves as police officers and arrested the victim on a trumped-up traffic violation, Eleazar said.

The two suspects then handcuffed the victims before transferring them to their own vehicle.

Camayang then drove Yu’s van away. The van was parked at a gas station in Balintawak, Quezon City.

Esquivel said the suspects held the victims and initially demanded P3 million pesos in exchange for their release but the victim haggled to lower it to P300,000.