3 suspects in kidnap-slay of trader under custody

MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese national and two Filipinos implicated in the kidnapping and killing of Filipino-Chinese steel magnate Anson Que and his driver Armanie Pabillo are now under police custody, the Philippine National Police announced yesterday.

PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil named the suspects as Chinese David Tan Liao and two Filipino accomplices, Ricardo David and Raymart Catequista.

Liao, also known as Xiao Chang Jiang, Yang Jianmin and Michael Agad Yung, is reportedly a prominent figure within a muscle group of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

He surrendered yesterday to the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group and confessed to his participation in the crime.

He was involved in five other kidnapping cases, the earliest of which happened in 2022, all related to the POGO industry.

David and Catequista, meanwhile, were arrested in Barangay IV in Roxas, Palawan on Friday at around 3 a.m.

The suspects underwent inquest proceedings before the Department of Justice, where they were charged with criminal complaints for two counts of kidnapping for ransom with homicide.

Two other Chinese nationals believed to be principal suspects in the Que and Pabillo killing remain at large and are the subjects of a manhunt operation.

Marbil said the suspects had been plotting the kidnap of the businessman for months before it was finally carried out on March 29.

“Through meticulous investigation and collaboration, we discovered that this crime has been planned months in advance, starting as early as January this year,” Marbil said in a statement read by PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo.

Speaking to reporters at a news briefing, Fajardo said the suspects used a Chinese woman to lure Que to a house in Barangay Langka in Meycauayan City, Bulacan on March 29.

“Ang tinitingnan natin ay makikipagkita siya doon sa babae (What we’re looking at is he was meeting a woman),” Fajardo said.

Fajardo said the meeting was initially planned on March 28 but took place the following day.

One of the suspects, David, drove Que’s Lexus LM350 multi-purpose vehicle and left it along Seminary Road in Barangay Bahay Toro. He was caught in a closed-circuit television camera of a convenience store buying wet wipes, which he would supposedly use to remove their fingerprints.

It was in the house in Meycauayan where Que and Pabillo were held while the suspects were demanding a ransom of $20 million from Que’s family.

Fajardo said while the initial demand was $20 million, they estimate the actual payment was around P200 million in cryptocurrency sent in multiple tranches.

The PNP is seeking the assistance of the Anti-Money Laundering Council in following the money trail for leads.

Based on their investigation, Fajardo said Que and Pabillo were killed on the evening of April 8 and their remains dumped in Rodriguez, Rizal the following day.

Armed with a search warrant, police officers raided the house in Meycauayan where they recovered shoes and other personal belongings of Que and Pabillo.

Fajardo said it appears that the suspects were intent on killing Que and Pabillo and it was not just for ransom. She did not elaborate as it is a subject of a follow-up investigation.

Asked what may have prompted Liao to surrender, Fajardo said: “He fears for his life and he has a personal reason which we will later reveal once we have the clearance.”

The PNP, meanwhile, refuted what it described as false information circulating on social media platforms that several high-profile business personalities had been kidnapped.

Marbil said investigators are tracking down the individuals spreading misleading stories.

“Such malicious disinformation will not be tolerated. Anyone proven to be spreading fake news will be dealt with accordingly,” he said in a statement.

Marbil urged the public to be cautious in sharing unverified information as this could cause confusion.