Kidnapped Pelaez scion rescued; 2 suspects held

ILIGAN CITY — Kidnap victim Enrico Pelaez, son of former Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez, who was kidnapped on Nov. 23 last year in Cagayan de Oro City, was rescued from a guarded safe house here yesterday morning by agents of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) and the police.

Maj. Celso Regencia and Maj. Roy Ga headed the agents who raided the safehouse at 4th East street, Rosario Heights, Tubod, this city, where the victim was hidden.

The PAOCTF said the discovery of the victim was "accidental" since they merely responded to a shooting incident.

Two of the four suspected kidnappers were arrested. They were identified as Mohamad Acmad, 40, of Supermarket, Cotabato City and Racman Abe, 39, of Banday, Malabang, Lanao del Sur.

Recovered were two .45 caliber pistols, a 9mm and a .357 revolver with ammunition.

Investigation showed that kidnap victim Pelaez could have been hidden in this city since his kidnapping last Nov. 23 although negotiations for his P5 million ransom were made at different places in Lanao del Sur province.

The two suspects who escaped as the PAOCTF raided the safehouse were identified as Cairoden Marohombsar and a female companion named Suinab.

They are now being hunted. Police believe they are still in this city.

Investigation further showed that Pelaez found an opportunity yesterday to look out of the apartment window and call for help but he was pulled back by one of the suspects and mauled.

The other suspect who was irked by Pelaez’s action pulled out a .45 caliber pistol and fired without hitting the kidnap victim. This alerted the neighbors who in turn called the police.

Pelaez was immediately brought to Cagayan de Oro City by the PAOCTF to be reunited with his family.

The suspects are believed to be members of the kidnap gang headed by Faisal Marohombsar of Lanao del Sur. He rented the apartment reportedly owned by a former town mayor of Balo-i, Lanao del Norte, and used it as a safehouse of the kidnappers where they hid the victim.