SAF ‘disowns’ police major in kidnap-slay

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will start summary dismissal proceedings against a police major and a rookie policeman implicated in the kidnap-slay of a businessman and his driver in Cavite last month.

Chief Superintendent Leocadio Santiago Jr., director of the PNP Special Action Force, ordered summary dismissal proceedings against Chief Inspector Exequiel Cautiver and PO1 Reniel Abogado, an SAF trainee, for the kidnap-murder of retired pilot Demosthenes Cañete and his driver, Allan Garay.

Santiago said the SAF has “disowned” Cautiver, one of their fellow police commandos, by stripping him of the “authority to wear the black beret, SAF badge, and Commando tab,” the distinctive headgear and insignia of the elite maneuver force of the PNP.

“Cautiver violated the SAF tradition of discipline and proper conduct. He does not deserve to wear the SAF beret and badge anymore,” Santiago said.

“A SAF trooper who is stripped of authority to wear the SAF badge and beret is like a lawyer disbarred or a priest defrocked,” he added.

All SAF troopers are issued general orders by the SAF headquarters before they are allowed to wear the black beret, SAF badge and Commando tab.

Cautiver, erstwhile officer-in-charge of the SAF Training Battalion, was arrested on July 4 for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Cañete and Garay. Abogado remains at-large.

The Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response initially filed kidnapping for ransom charges against Cautiver, Abogado, former vice mayor Victor Carungcong, Alejandrito Entolizo Jr., Gary Pateo, and Mariano de Leon, alias Spider.

The charge was later amended to the complex crime of kidnapping for ransom with murder after the bodies of Cañete and Garay were found.