Lacson scores again: The victim wasn't just rescued but a kidnap ring wasbusted

Kidnappers, who rode high and mighty for years, now know that there's a two-gun law officer and relentless Sheriff in town.

Last Tuesday (Feb. 1), when businessman Joseph Uy of Dasmariñas Village was snatched as he was getting into his car in the parking lot of the Anson Arcade in Makati, the buzz that went around was that the kidnap gangs weren't scared of the crackdown on crime by PNP Director (General) Panfilo Lacson -- and were thumbing their noses at him.

The abduction, after all, took place in the busy heart of Makati, the nation's Wall Street.

It didn't take long, however, for Ping Lacson's men from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force to track the spoor of the insolent kidnappers. Pursuing leads developed in five previous "Kidnapping for Ransom" cases (the code-name for such criminal activities is KFR), the lawmen noticed certain similarities. Simultaneously, they checked and cross-checked the background and movements of the victim and learned that the suspects had contacted the victim's family to demand an initial ransom of P50 million. The family members made a counter-offer of P2 million. In reply, the suspects said they were willing to settle for P20 million, but no more "discounts." The family concerned begged for more time to raise such an amount.

Immediate surveillance was mounted on all suspected "safehouses" originally pinpointed by the PAOCTF and Police Investigation Group (PNP-IG). What characterizes Lacson and his "battle group" is that they rely on doing their homework first before charging in like "gangbusters." Sifting through records and dossiers, and accessing computer files, the probers studied all KFR groups known to be operating in Makati and Southern Luzon. What seemed to match with the Uy kidnapping caper was the modus operandi involved in several other cases, particularly those of Edmundo Tan, Ofelia Tan, alias Nippoy, Carlos Co Yu Kiat, Sally Co Yu Kiat and her two daughters, and Eric Chan and his girlfriend.

The latest hostage, Joseph Uy, had been whisked away aboard a white Nissan Safari van, which an alert bystander had seen bearing license plate number WGV-836.

Last Wednesday (Feb. 2), about 7 p.m., an identical-looking white Nissan Safari -- but with a different plate, UGM-508 -- was spotted coming out of a place named JC Manufacturing, 10 Barangay Drive, Bangkal, in Carmona, Cavite. The vehicle, later established to have been driven by a certain Jessie Co (alleged to be a "tipster" of the group), was trailed to a two-story house on Sampaguita st., Lores Country Homes, Barangay Dalig, Antipolo City (Rizal).

The house was staked out with agents observing the comings and goings there. Once it was "confirmed" that the victim was being held there, a rescue plan was mapped out.

In the dead of night, about one o'clock a.m. on February 3 (Thursday), PNP-IG, PAOCTF and Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) operatives crashed into the house and rescued the hostage. Arrested in the lightning raid were Ciriaco Hutalla Jr. y Felisco (by golly, a former Army Scout Ranger), 40; Raul Bitoin y Merjudio, 47, driver, from Lopez, Quezon; Rolly Hutalla y Anda, 33, driver, from Lopez, Quezon; Joseph Castillo y Versola, 38, formerly residing at 20th Avenue, Murphy, Cubao, Q.C.; Ecer Lavilla y Amparo, 37, electrician, from Panaon, Quezon; and Jessie Costales, ex-Army, a native of Anda, Lopez, Quezon.

That's not all. In another raid on the JC Manufacturing Compound in Carmona, Cavite, police agents nabbed Renato Salatan y Mones, 37, mechanic, from Barrio Poblacion, Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija; Ryan Lavilla y Peralta, 17, truck driver assistant, of Panaon, Quezon; Lenin Mota y Letran, 21, truck driver assistant, of Castilla, Sorsogon; Orlando Alvarez y Manabat, 37, driver, a native of Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija; and Bien Alvarez y Manabat, 33, driver, a native of Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija.

The police seized the white Nissan Safari (license plate number UGM-508, but whose original plate was UBX-156), plus assorted firearms: a .45 Colt with SN, a .45 Colt MKW SN; a caliber .38 Smith & Wesson; one balisong, and two magazines for an M-16 rifle -- but no rifle. There were two ICOM hand-held radios, three Motorola cellphones.

The 11 arrested "suspects" are undergoing interrogation for the kidnappings of earlier victims. Edmundo Tan, Ofelia Tan and Nippoy were abducted on August 6, 1999; Helen Dy and Yvonne Yuchengco were also kidnap victims. Carlos Co Yu Kiat was abducted on June 30, 1999. Sally Co Yu Kiat of Pioneer Insurance was taken on June 30, 1999. Eric Chan and Melissa Manliclic, the former also co-owner of Pioneer Insurance, were kidnapped last December 1, 1999.

What's interesting -- and typical, alas -- is that not one of the family members of those victims reported the "incidents" to the authorities. The Uy case demonstrates, however, that our cops are on the ball. Aksyon agad -- at last.

When I spoke to Ping Lacson yesterday, he said that victimized families can and must report kidnappings to him, so his PAOCTF and PNP-IG teams can go to work immediately, as in the case of the now happily rescued Mr. Joseph Uy.

In his memorandum to President Estrada on the Uy rescue "without a centavo in ransom paid," General Lacson reported to the President last Thursday that "the arrest of the eleven (11) suspects brought to an end the reign (of terror) of the remaining active KFR group operating in Makati City and Southern Luzon."

Go get 'em, Ping! There are more syndicated gangs, but you've got them on the run.

Prod Laquian, the President's new "chief of staff", told me last Friday that he had held a meeting with Secretary Lenny de Jesus of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) and the projected Department of Housing that very morning.

I asked him whether Lenny would remain in Malacañang or move over to her new multibillion-peso mass housing agency's office, but he only winked. "You'll read all about it in the newspapers soon enough," he smiled. "As for me, I think the President and Lenny should do all the talking."

It's significant that Dr. Laquian, 65, who hails from Apalit, Pampanga, but was re-imported from Canada to backstop the President, has just been given the Arlegui residence (the former official residence during the time of former President Ramos) as both his temporary home and office. Why, the PMS headquarters is also on Arlegui street. Does that geographical tidbit tell you something?

I won't be so rash, on the other hand, as to predict the coming fate of Ms. Lenny whose tears and temper render her -- uh, unpredictable. After all, after a year and 18 months of the Year of the Dragon Lady, we're now embarked, as of this morning, on The Year of the Dragon. Sanamagan. If Dragons -- even "golden" ones -- are now to be predominant, can you tell me who's got the gold?

Let's hope that the entry of Laquian means a change in style in Malacañang.

Everybody seems skittish of being drawn into the struggles and intrigues there. Even Flagship Projects Secretary and Presidential Adviser Robert Aventajado, when he was offered the position of "Executive Secretary" not long ago, demurred and told Erap he wasn't eager to get that "hot seat" of a job. (So, relax, Sir Ronnie Baby).

Don't count Aventajado out, though. He's not only been too low-profile, but he's been No Profile, which has led people to exclaim: "Aventajado, who?" However, he's still at the elbow of His Majesty, King Erap. Almost invisible, but still there. Erap needs guys like Aventajado to check all future "pardon" lists for other scumbags who carry such awful and deadly names as "Manero."

As for the disgraceful "escape" of the mad-dog killer Norberto Manero Jr. (whose propaganda now claims he has an "army" of 1,000 men to back him up in South Cotabato -- waw, more thugs and hoodlums?), the President must react. He may not be able to arrest Manero again. That hoodlum, after giving a torrent of testy interviews, must have gone "underground" by now. But Erap can at least FIRE all the arrogant members of the Board of Pardons and Parole who sneaked the name of Manero (and his brothers) into the "forgiven" list, without red-tagging it for the special attention of the Chief Executive. They should have warned the President it was a "hot potato" but they didn't -- so what was their agenda? The President has been painfully embarrassed. He's got to kick ass.

If such cheeky fellows are permitted to "get away with it," he'll have more fastbreak operators sneaking things in here and there, leaving Erap holding the can. For, as Harry S. Truman said in a sign on his desk, "The Buck Stops Here." In Erap's case, it's not the buck, but the can of worms.

I think everybody should stop ululating, cluck-clucking, and frothing at the mouth over that silly "White Paper" which alleges that FVR's former Rasputin, General Jose T. Almonte, in connivance with PR man Bubby Dacer and a batch of columnists and opinion writers, is engaged in a program to discomfit, destabilize, and "topple" the President. What stuff and nonsense.

Sure, some plot could -- who knows? -- exist. But a "White Paper" is just a piece of toilet paper, not even fit for a bum to be wiped on. It's a scurrilous piece of trash which shouldn't have been given a second thought. So why did so many waste time, tears, and temper tantrums over it?

Anybody at all, whether morons or malicious types can manufacture a White Paper or Black Propaganda sheet. Why, you can even lie with computers. Electronic wizardry can even portray a Bishop having . . . an, er, "intercourse" (dialogue, naturally) with a whore, or Eki Cardenas and Lenny kissing and making up (a complete impossibility). You can lie with statistics.

But a paper which is unsigned? It's the work of a coward; so forget it.