By ARIS R. ILAGAN
President Arroyo said yesterday that the government will apply its "iron fist" to neutralize the remaining kidnap-for-ransom groups in the country.
The President visited Camp Crame, Quezon City yesterday during which officials of the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) presented to Arroyo one of the country’s most wanted kidnappers arrested in Western Samar last Saturday.
"Ginagawa natin (ito) para sa karaniwang mamamayan, at para sa taxi driver na naghahanap ng kamay na bakal laban sa kriminal," Arroyo said. (We do this for the ordinary citizens, and for the taxi driver who wants an iron fist against criminals.)
NAKTAF chief Angelo T. Reyes identified the arrested kidnap leader as Reynaldo Cacho, tagged as among the leaders of the "Estrada" kidnap-for-ransom group.
Reyes, Secretary Jose Lina Jr. of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), PNP Deputy Director for Operations General Edgar Aglipay, and Justice Secretary Merceditas Gutierrez were present in the media conference at Crame, the PNP national headquarters.
Arroyo said that a stable peace and order situation is needed to sustain economic development and that the neutralization of kidnap gangs will remain a priority of the government.
A better peace and order situation and good investments mean more jobs for the jobless Filipinos, the President said.
"Sa mga naghahanap ng trabaho dahil gusto natin ng maraming trabaho, kailangan ng maraming mamumuhunan at kung gusto natin ng mga mamumuhunan, dapat wala silang takot na baka ma-kidnap sila," Arroyo said. (Because we need more jobs, we need more investors, and if we want investors, they should not fear that they would be kidnapped.)
Reyes batted for the imposition of the death penalty, saying it is a good deterrent against crime. "The message that we always want to deliver is the certainty of punishment. The death penalty, by itself does not guarantee this, it should be a whole package of preventive measures from deterring kidnapping, neutralizing kidnappers, speedy prosecution and speedy trial," Reyes said.
He said that punishment must be certain and quick and not 10 years after the commission of the crime. He added that the NAFTAF is waiting for the Supreme Court’s decision to create a special court to handle heinous crime cases.
Two kidnappers of Chinese-Filipino trader Tomas Joseph Co and his secretary in 1998 are scheduled to die by lethal injection this Friday. They are Robert Lara and Roderick Licayan, whose executions were asked to be set aside by the Public Attorney’s Office for the presentation of new evidence.
Cacho, formerly the eighth most wanted men in the KFR list, was named fifth most wanted kidnapper in the new list released by the NAFTAF this month. Cacho has a
R500,000 reward on his head.
Western Visayas Chief Supt. Dionisio Coloma said his men are now going after the head of the Estrada Gang, former policeman Allan Estrada, who is fourth in the NAFTAF’s updated list of most wanted kidnappers.
Estrada was formerly assigned with the Traffic Management Group.
Coloma attributed the effective barangay information system in Sta. Elena, Gandara town for the arrest of Cacho.
Cacho was arrested at the hometown of his common-law wife Myrna Aleria. His neighbors provided authorities information on his whereabouts after seeing his photographs in the wanted men posters released by the NAKTAF.
Coloma said Cacho was involved in the kidnapping-for-ransom of 13-year-old Rubelyn Chua last Aug. 21, 2003.
Prior to his recruitment to the kidnap gang, Cacho was employed as a helper by the Marina Sales, a distributor of Del Monte products in Pasig City, from 1989 to 1992. He resigned from his job the following year and put up his own meat vending business in Divisoria, Manila.
Cacho was recruited to the kidnap gang by a certain "Boy Flores" sometime in July, 2003.
Reyes said Cacho identified his cohorts in the Chua kidnapping as Estrada, "Sosing Waray", "Ludy Flores" and "Marlon Flores".
Task force lauded
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday lauded the officers and members of the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) for capturing the eighth most wanted kidnapper, Reynaldo Cacho, in Gandara, Western Samar last Saturday.
The President commended NAKTAF chief Angelo Reyes, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jose Lina, Jr., Eastern Visayas police director Chief Supt. Dionisio Coloma, and other DILG officials during the media presentation of Cacho at Camp Crame, Quezon City yesterday morning.
She said the continuous success and effectiveness of the anti-kidnapping operations are due to the government’s resolve to help the Filipino people who seek an iron fist against criminals and allay the fears of investors.
