Kidnap for ransom: Korean, 3 others, plead not guilty

CEBU, Philippines - The Korean national and three Filipinos accused of kidnap for ransom pleaded not guilty before Judge Ma. Lynna Adviento of Regional Trial Court Branch 58.

Song Sungheum, the alleged mastermind in the kidnapping of Jun Hyung Chung and his Filipina girlfriend Charisse Santiago, denied the charges. He was assisted by his counsel Michael Maestrado during his arraignment yesterday.

The other three accused - Gregorio Dealagon, Leonard Bulabon and Richard Dealagon - likewise denied the charges. They were assisted by their counsel Fritz Quinto.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Chung and Santiago before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

The two alleged on October 24, 2012 they were kidnapped by the three Filipino accused in their apartment in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.

They said they were handcuffed and forced to board the vehicle. Thereafter, the accused demanded P600,000 for their liberty and alleged that the mastermind was Sungheum.

In his counter-affidavit, Sungheum vehemently denied the accusation that he was the mastermind in the kidnapping for ransom.

He said he doesn’t know Gregorio, Richard and Bulabon but Richard looks familiar to him. He thought maybe they met once when he came to Cebu.

Moreover, Sungheum said he knew Chung, who used to be his friend, but not Santiago. He added that sometime in August 2012 they had argument with Chung because the latter allegedly kept on asking money from him. He said Chung used to gamble in the Casino.

In fact, he said, Chung borrowed 35,000 Korean Won or close to P1.3 million from him.

The other three accused likewise denied the charges.

“We were really surprised about the mix-up since the issue is confined between Jun Hyung Chung and Song Sungheum, who are fellow Koreans, not us,” their counter-affidavit reads.

Gregorio and Bulabon said it was Richard who tapped them in order for Chung and Sungheum to end up meeting to settle their issues.

They said they went to the residence of Chung on October 24 then proceeded to a mall at around 5:00 p.m., the place where Chung and Sungheum will be meeting.

They said the complainants were not forced. Richard corroborated Gregorio and Bulabon’s claim.

“Jun and his girlfriend were not forcibly taken. Neither was there any fraud nor any other forms of misrepresentation employed to get them to be with us,” his counter-affidavit reads.

Richard added that when they went to the residence of Chung they told him that Sungheum wanted to see him and the latter will arrive in Cebu early dawn of October 25.

He added that Chung and Santiago voluntarily accompanied them and went to a mall waiting for Sungheum.

However, he said Chung told them that they can’t wait for Sungheum and instead asked them to give the money to Heum. Chung then withdrew and gave the money to them. It was the time that the police arrived and arrested them.

The pre-trial is scheduled on January 22, 2013. – (FREEMAN)