Ex-cop in kidnapping of BIR execs nabbed

Police have arrested a former policeman who was tagged in the kidnapping of Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) officials in a followup operation in Bulacan.

Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo, director of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), said suspect Allan Formilleza is also known as a hitman for a criminal group before their criminal gang focused on abducting BIR officials in Metro Manila and Central Luzon.

Formilleza was assigned to the Quezon City Police District with a rank of Police Officer 3 before he was dismissed from the service for alleged involvement in various criminal activities.

Estomo said his men served several arrest warrants against Formilleza when they confirmed an intelligence report that he was regularly seen in Sta. Maria, Bulacan.

At around 11 a.m. on Monday, AKG operatives chanced upon the suspect while on board a tricycle in Barangay Caypombo.

Among the charges that Formilleza is facing are murder, estafa and the .

Maj. Ronaldo Lumactod, AKG spokesman, said Formilleza used to be involved in robbing houses of BIR officials in Metro Manila and Central Luzon.

“Intelligence information revealed that the arrested accused is allegedly a hard core hitman of the Gapos Gang Group operating in NCR and Region 3 before the evolution and shifting of their group into actual kidnapping of BIR officials,” said Lumactod.

“He is one of the AKG’s target personalities,” he added.

WHY BIR OFFICIALS

Last year, police intelligence reports disclosed a series of kidnappings involving BIR officials.

But the police were wondering before why the victims would not report the incident to them.

Reportedly, it turned out that the kidnapping group was targeting erring BIR officials. The victims would not allegedly seek police assistance for fear that their wrongdoings would be exposed.

The kidnapping group was allegedly focusing on erring BIR officials because they would not report the kidnapping and the relatives of the victims would immediately pay.

Based on the report, the entire transaction usually lasts within the day, regardless of ransom demand.