By NICOLE MANAGBANAG and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents
THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday revealed that it has filed charges against three more men in connection with the disappearance of Enrique Fernandez III last month.
Slapped with kidnapping, serious illegal detention and carnapping charges were one Boy Guevara, Rolando Udasco a.k.a. Tatay and a John Doe, said NBI assistant director for northern Mindanao Hans Barbaso.
NBI special investigator Pastor Oran III earlier said the Bureau suspected that three others–“assets” or police informers–were involved in the Oct. 23 kidnapping of the former overseas worker.
Barbaso said investigators were able to establish that the three civilians had a hand in the Oct. 23 abduction by providing the armed group information about Fernandez’s whereabouts.
The revelation came even as the the mother of murdered teenager Stacey Villar showed up at the NBI during the inquest proceedings yesterday. Villar’s mother Merideth “Madet” Mah turned out to be the girlfriend of the 33-year old Fernandez, and she provided investigators information about her sale of a P6.5-million property that may or may not have factored in last month’s abduction outside an e-Bingo establishment at Uptown Condotel in Upper Balulang.
Mah is the same woman who tragically lost her 14-year old daughter Stacey to a strangler in their rented pad on Egret St., Morning Mist Subdivision here in 2015. The teenager was alone when the crime was committed.
On Tuesday, NBI agents arrested Senior Insp. Ereneo Ramirez and his subordinates SPO2 Jojo Lim, SPO1 Alaindelon Tacubao, PO3 Alejandro Ubanan and PO2 Sangkula Hussein. Ramirez headed the Crime against Persons and Property Desk of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) that was deactivated by city police director Senior Supt. Ronnie Francis Cariaga as a result of Fernandez’s abduction.
The suspects were charged with kidnapping, serious illegal detention, and carnapping (Fernandez’s motorcycle was taken.)
Oran said investigators have taken interest on the information that Mah and Fernandez were living together, and that the former recently sold a P6.5-million property.
He said the plan could have been kidnapping for ransom.
But so far, the NBI cannot establish that it was really a case of kidnapping-foransom, said Barbaso.
Barbaso said investigators were carefully examining a closed-circuit television camera recording that showed five men forcing Fernandez into a white car in broad daylight, Oct. 23.
The CCTV footage, shown by Barbaso to reporters on Tuesday night, is relatively clear–the victim and his attackers are identifiable.
Barbaso said the way Fernandez was attacked made the NBI suspect of personal grudges. He noted that the five suspects took turns in hurting the victim.
But while the NBI is still working to establish the motive for the Oct. 23 abduction, he said the CCTV recording clearly show who the suspects are.
“Bisan walay ransom demand, ma-consider gihapon nga kidnap ang nahitabo sa biktima. Ang key element sa kidnapping, basta imong pogson pagdala ang tawo,” Barbaso said.
He said the NBI is also looking for Fernandez’s stolen motorcycle and the car used by the suspects.
The suspects, all detained in an NBI cell, have opted to keep mum on the advice of lawyers from the Vedad Law Office.
Meanwhile, the NBI stepped up security at its regional office, noting that the suspects and the case are considered “high-profile.”
Barbaso said the suspects were subjected to inquest proceedings by a prosecutor at the NBI regional office instead of city hall for security reasons.
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