The Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Wednesday sentenced four police officers to suffer life imprisonment without eligibility for parole for the abduction and death of a Taiwanese businessman in 2005.
In a 63-page decision, Branch 219 Judge Janette Abergos-Samar found Police Staff Sergeant Allan Berania, and Patrolmen Candido Vallejo, Joel Tapec and Alexander Pangilinan guilty beyond reasonable doubt for ransom with homicide.
Also meted out reclusion perpetua was civilian Ferdinand Gahusan.
The judge ordered the five individuals’ families to indemnify the kin of Michael Chan P100,000 in civil indemnity, P100,000 in moral damages, P100,000 in exemplary damages and another P100,000 in temperate damages.
The relatives of the five convicts vowed to challenge the court’s ruling.
At least three other suspects—Patrolmen Daniel Maburan and Ely Frias, and a certain Ogie—continued to remain at large.
The policemen belonged to Doce Pares gang.
Tapec was believed to be the leader of the gang composed of dismissed and active policemen.
Despite a P6-million ransom, Chan was still killed on Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City on Sept 15, 2005.
The victim’s body was dumped and discovered in Rizal’s Antipolo City.