A dismissed policeman and his alleged cohorts—a former agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and an active traffic enforcer of the Metro Manila Development Authority and a civilian involved in carnapping and kidnapping of a Metro Manila Development Authority were arrested by authorities the other day.
The suspects, who were presented to PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde by Quezon City Police District director Chief Supt Joselito Esquivel Jr., were identified as PO1 Mark Anthony Roque, a dismissed policeman assigned at the PNP-Crime Laboratory based in Camp Crame; Arnold Camayang, a former PDEA agent; Alvin Jay Roque, a traffic enforcer of the Metro Manila Development Authority and civilian John Talaue.
Esquivel said the suspects were responsible in two kidnapping incidents of the same Chinese victim, Wu Shaowei along Congressional Avenue last May 25.
Investigation showed that Wu Shaowei, who was with an errand boy, was traveling on board a white Toyota Commuter Van. Upon reaching a Shell gasoline station near S&R Supermarket, his vehicle was blocked by two armed suspects onboard a gray Toyota commuter van.
The armed suspects, who introduced themselves as policemen, were later identified as Mark Anthony Roque and Camayang. They handcuffed the victims and transferred them to their vehicle while the van of the Chinese was driven by Camayang and later left parked at a Shell gas station in Balintawak, Quezon City.
The suspects initially demanded P3 million in exchange for their freedom.
The victim negotiated to lower the demand to P300,000 and requested that they proceed to his residence at Congressional Village, Proj. 8, Quezon City to get the money.
Upon getting the money, the suspects drove away with two other vehicles of the victim:A Toyota Fortuner and another Toyota Commuter van, both parked in the garage.
The victims immediately reported the incident to the Talipapa Police Station (PS-3) for investigation. It later turned over the case to the CIDU and ANCAR at the QCPD Headquarters in Camp Karingal.
A tracker team was immediately formed to handle and investigate the case. Last June 6, 2018, 4 pm, a confidential informant spotted the white and gray Toyota Hi-Ace Commuter van parked along Bulusan Street, corner Amoranto in Quezon City.
A stakeout operation was conducted until the next day, June 7, 2018 that led to the arrest of Alvin Jay Roque and Talaue while they were on board the White Toyota van at 5:30 am. The operatives also recovered the gray Toyota Commuter van during the operation.
Meanwhile, at 4 pm of June 7, 2018, the police along with the victim went to Camp Crame to verify a report on the arrest of a certain Mark Anthony Roque, who was earlier arrested in an anti-carnapping operation by the PNP-HPG last June 6, 2018 along Mc Arthur Hi-way near Fatima University in Valenzuela City.
Roque arrogantly introduced himself as a police officer but was arrested for driving a Toyota Hi-ace Grandia without a plate number and conduction sticker and could not present other documents as proof of ownership. Verification showed that he was dismissed from the police service effective Nov. 12, 2016 for Serious Neglect of Duty).
Esquivel said Wu Shaowei positively identified Roque as the same person who, along with Camayang, forcibly took away his vehicles in two separate incidents last April 7 and May 25, 2018, respectively.
Camayang was later arrested at the parking lot of the PNP-HPG in Camp Crame after he was about to drive the victim’s Toyota Fortuner.
Camayang and Mark Anthony Roque will be charged with kidnapping, robbery and violation of R.A. 4136 or Land Transportation and Traffic Code and usurpation of authority while charges of carnapping and anti-fencing will be filed against Alvin Jay Roque and Talaue before the Quezon City Prosecutor.
Meanwhile, in Kidapawan City, at least 70 members of the Special Action Force in Cotabato will file charges against a police officer and two others in hopes of getting back their money they invested in an alleged “rice investment scam.”
A SAF member said he invested P100,000 to the "rice investment" allegedly being operated by fellow SAF member and Police Officer 3 Beltzasar Elorcosa Aborpo and his wife Bai Mamot Mangacop.
Aborpo is learned to have gone AWOL (absent without official leave) from his unit.
Initial reports said that the couple went into hiding somewhere in Mamasapano in Maguindanao, after they failed to return the money the SAF members had invested.
The SAF member said the rice investment started in November 2016.
Aborpo reportedly told them that if they invest P1,800 for a sack of rice, they will earn P430 as the rice would be sold at P2,230.
At first, the SAF member admitted that they were lured into investing more money when they initially received huge earnings payout from Aborpo.
Later, some SAF members borrowed big sums of money by pawning their automated teller machine (ATM) cards to loan sharks, while others sold their properties to invest in Aborpo’s business.
The complainant said that Aborpo and his wife ran away with some P40 million from 70 SAF members who invested in the rice business.
The SAF members said Aborpo has not been paying their supposed earnings, since July 2017, adding that the couple can nowhere be found.
Last Thursday, the victims filed a joint complaint against the couple and their secretary Jocelyn Bersola at the Kidapawan City PNP office.
During the press briefing, the complainants said they plan to file syndicated estafa and other charges against the suspects.