By NICOLE MANAGBANAG
with LITO RULONA
Correspondents
THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday arrested five police officers being linked to the disappearance of Enrique Fernandez III. The suspects were accused of kidnapping and carnapping before the prosecutor’s office.
The 33-year old Fernandez was last seen in Oct. 23 (not Oct. 28 as reported earlier). Surveillance camera recordings showed him being forced into a car allegedly by the suspects outside an uptown “condotel” in Balulang last month.
NBI agents arrested the suspects–Senior Insp. Ereneo Ramirez, SPO2 Jojo Lim, SPO1 Alaindelon Tacubao, PO3 Alejandro Ubanan and PO2 Hussein Bolanio–at the Regional Police Holding and Accounting Office in Camp Alagar where they were earlier ordered restricted by police director for northern Mindanao Chief Supt. Noel Constantino.
The suspects were members of the just-deactivated Crime against Persons and Property Desk (CAPPD) of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo). Senior Insp. Ramirez, one of the suspects, headed the group.
Fernandez’s father and namesake Enrique Jr. said he and his family were hoping that his son would return to them.
“Bisan wala pa makita akong anak apan matawag na kini nga hustisya alang sa pamilya,” he said of the suspects’ arrest.
The elder Fernandez said he suspected that the policemen snatched his son in order to extort money from him.
“Ila kadtong nahinaykan mao nga dili na gayud makauli,” he said.
The victim’s aunt told the Gold Star Daily that she watched the recordings and saw her nephew being slammed by one of the suspects and then dragged into a car.
She said the recordings also showed other suspects taking turns in attacking Enrique III, a former overseas worker who became a broker here.
The aunt and other relatives of the victim identified the police officers.
Enrique Jr. said he and his family were advised by the NBI to apply for the witness protection program of the Department of Justice (DOJ) because the suspects.
“Nahadlok ko pero among himoon ang tanang legal action aron madugta sa prisohan ang mga pulis nga midaget sa akong anak,” he said.
Supt. Surki Sereñas, Camp Alagar spokesman, said the regional police office was fully cooperating with the NBI. He assured that Camp Alagar would not help the suspects in anyway.
“Dili namo duphan ang maong mga pulis kon ugaling makita sa imbestigasyon nga sila sad-an sa nasampit nga kaso,” Sereñas said.
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