Cops tracking 3 more suspects in Malaysian trader's abduction

After arresting eight suspects in the abduction of a Malaysian in Malabon City last Sunday, police are tracking down at least three more people and working to recover a total of P12.1 million of the P16.3 million in ransom the victim had paid for his freedom. Metro Manila police chief Director Nicanor Bartolome said Wednesday this is part of the follow-up operations cops are conducting against members of the gang that abducted Eric Sim Chin Tong.
“There are at least three suspects who are still at large, even as police personnel continue investigating the case," Bartolome said in Filipino in an interview on dzRH radio. On the other hand, Bartolome said police are following the leads provided by a piece of paper they recovered, indicating how the ransom money was distributed among those who took part in the abduction of the Malaysian trader. Also, he said authorities are working to recover a total of P12.1 million after they recovered P4.2 million from the arrested suspects. Bartolome said, “Doon sa Bulacan may nagsabi pinababalik ng isang magulang [ang pera] (We are verifying information that a parent of at least one of the suspects wanted they money returned.) He earlier identified the suspects arrested Monday as Marlon Lopera, 31; the victim’s live-in partner Joana Ballesteros, 20; her brother Francis, 27; Edel Macalinao, 36, the victim’s secretary; Felizardo Gutierrez, 44; Rolando Manuzon Jr., 29, and cousin Bernardo Manuzon, 36; and one identified only as a 17-year-old youth. An investigation showed armed men claiming to be police and immigration agents went last Sunday to the victim’s house in Malabon City and claimed to have an immigration document and an arrest warrant against him. “Nang bumaba ang biktima pinosasan agad siya at tinangay. Yan ang umpisa ng pagdala sa kanya (As soon as he got out of his house he was handcuffed and abducted, and his ordeal began)," Bartolome said. According to the victim, his abductors had him instruct his secretary, Macalinao, to withdraw P15 million from a bank and another P1.3 million from his office’s vault. Macalinao then brought the money to Riviera Mansion in Bulacan province, after which the victim was released in Intramuros, Manila on Monday night. The victim then sought police assistance the next day, and was referred to the Manila Police District Station 5. But at the MPD police investigators suspected something was wrong when Ballesteros and Macalinao gave “conflicting" statements. “Naghinala sila na baka may kinalaman ang mga ito. One thing led to another, tuluy-tuloy ang follow up, umabot sa Bulacan, pinuntahan ang mansion, na-recover ang P4.2 million at saka ang pinagtaguan nila, sunod-sunod yung anim pa," Bartolome said. (Police investigators suspected something was wrong and that the two women had something to do with the abduction. One thing led to another and follow-up operations resulted in the arrest of the eight and the recovery of P4.2 million.) He also said the immigration document and arrest warrant presented by the suspects turned out to be fake. “Pina-verify natin ito kahapon, fake ang arrest warrant, walang ganoong warrant of arrest, pati ang Immigration document, fake yan (We verified this Tuesday. The documents turned out to be fake)," he said. — LBG, GMA News