5 N. Ecija policemen in kidnap-slay of online trader fired

NATIONAL Police chief General Guillermo Eleazar has ordered the immediate dismissal from the service of five Nueva Ecija policemen allegedly involved in the kidnap-slaying of a female online seller in the province.

The policemen were identified as Staff Sgt. Benedict Matias Reyes, who is assigned at the Sta. Rosa Municipal Police Station; Staff Sgt. June Malillin of the Palayan City Police Station; Cpl. Julius Alcantara of the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office Drug Enforcement Unit; Master Sgt.

Rowen Martin, assigned at the Cabanatuan City Police Station; and Staff Sgt. Drextemir Esmundo, assigned at the Cabiao Municipal Police Station.

The five policemen and two civilians, Franklin Macapagal and Dario Robarios, were linked to the kidnapping and killing of victim Nadia Casar, who was from Cavite. A witness to the crime positively identified the suspects.

Reyes, Malillin, Alcantara and Robarios are in police custody while Martin, Esmundo and Macapagal remain at large. All of them, however, have been charged before the Department of Justice.

According to the Anti-kidnapping Group (AKG), Casar and a Grab driver she hired were kidnapped by at least five men at around 1:45 p.m. on July 20 in Barangay Tagpos, Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija. Both Casar and the Grab driver came from Cavite and went to Nueva Ecija to meet with Macapagal.

The Grab driver was robbed of his cellular phone and P4,500 cash and released by the kidnappers at around 3 a.m. the following day.

On the other hand, the burnt body of the kidnap victim was recovered on August 1 at around 2:30 p.m. in Sitio Pinagpala, Barangay Imelda Valley, Palayan City where it was buried by the suspects in shallow grave.

Eleazar directed the AKG and the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement

Group to conduct manhunt operations against the three suspects who remain at large.

The Philippine National Police chief, while condemning the incident, assured that justice will be served for Casar and the policemen-suspects may probably rot in jail.

The AKG was able to identify all the suspects after the Grab driver who went to the Sta. Rosa Police Station recognized one of the kidnappers from the wallmounted poster of all members of the police station.

Later, he also saw the policeman at the station and told the AKG personnel, who was with him leading to the arrests.