2 cops, 2 civilians face raps for 2 teens’ kidnap

TANAUAN CITY, BATANGAS — Two policemen and two civilians were charged with conspiracy in abducting two teenagers to force a businesswoman to pay her debt to the group’s alleged mastermind, a Manila policeman.

The alleged brains, SPO3 Avelino Manalo of the Western Police District, was killed before local policemen could arrest him yesterday.

Superintendent Francisco Rodriguez, Tanauan police chief, headed the team which rescued brothers Ronie Jude Velasco, 18, and Mark Stephen Velasco, 16, from a resthouse which Manalo owned in Barangay Pantay Bata here.

Charged with conspiracy were SPO3 Jesus Mendoza and SPO2 Roger Paneda, both of the Sto. Tomas, Batangas police, and civilians Marilou Nevaja and Severino Manalo.

Reports said Manalo hatched the plan to kidnap the two sons of his business partner Judith Velasco after she failed to pay him P3 million as part of their business dealings.

Velasco then went into hiding after Manalo charged her with estafa. A warrant was subsequently issued for her arrest.

Desperate to collect his money, Manalo and the four suspects kidnapped Velasco’s son Ronie Jude at the Velasco residence in Sto. Tomas town at about 9 p.m. last Nov. 13. They abducted Mark Stephen two days later at the Metropolis Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

Nevaja allegedly acted as the link between Manalo and Velasco. She told Velasco that her sons would be killed if she would not pay her debt to Manalo.

The deal was at a standoff until three unidentified men aboard a silver Honda Civic with no license plate gunned down Manalo inside the Raymac car shop here at about 8:45 a.m. last Monday. Also killed was mechanic Aldrin Solis, 16, who was hit by a stray bullet.

At about 3 p.m. the same day, an anonymous caller informed the Tanauan police that Velasco’s sons were at Manalo’s resthouse.

After verifying the tip, Tanauan police operatives raided the resthouse at about 7 p.m., rescuing the two teeners, who were still handcuffed when they arrived.

Upon learning about the identities of the suspects, Chief Inspector Nilo Maitim, Sto. Tomas police chief, first summoned Mendoza and Paneda, who were positively identified by the victims. They were arrested and disarmed immediately.

Nevaja and Severino Manalo were invited by the Tanauan police to visit the station yesterday. The victims also recognized them.