Kidnap suspect convicted after a decade
TEN years after she was arrested for her role in a kidnapping case in Mindanao, a woman has been sentenced to life in prison by a General Santos City court, thanks to the partnership between the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group, the Department of Justice Task Force on Kidnapping-for-Ransom and the victim who showed his face to confront the accused.
“This is the result of the good partnership between the police, the DOJ prosecutors and of course, the kidnapping-for-ransom victim who really was unafraid to show his face in order for him to get the justice he really deserved,” PNP-AKG Officer-in-Charge, Brigadier General Roel C. Rodolfo told the Journal Group.
In a report to PNP chief, General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil, Rodolfo said that Judge Paolo R. Aquino of the General Santos City Regional Trial Court Branch 59 found Emily Pedtucasan alias ‘Tata/Princess Montilla/Sheika Malang Nalaunan’ guilty beyond reasonable doubt for kidnapping-for-ransom.
The General Santos City court sentenced the accused, who is already detained at the General Santos City Jail, to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole and at the same time ordered her to pay a total of P705,000 in civil, moral, exemplary and actual damages.
Judge Aquino also issued a warrant of arrest with no bail recommended for the 10 co-accused of the convicted woman who all remained at-large.
Those being hunted as of press time are Saudi Kasan alias Kumander Rainbow, Kamad Sacop alias Kumander Datu Roy, Kumander Marlboro, Kumander Mike, Kumander Bapa Teng, alias Usop, a certain Pulis and three other John Does.
Solid testimonies given in court by a PNP-AKG agent and the victim as well as prosecutors from the DOJ Task Force on Kidnapping-for-Ransom led to the conviction of the woman.
“The prosecution has indeed proven beyond reasonable doubt that Ms. Pedtucasan/Montilla was among those in conspiracy in kidnapping the victim.
Ms. Pedtucasan/Montilla may not be the one who detained the victim, she was however, no doubt the very person who delivered the victim to the other accused, which could verily evince a common purpose or design for the crime of kidnap for ransom,” the General Santos City judge said.
The Department of Justice Task Force on Kidnapping-for-Ransom recommended the filing of the criminal action against the accused in connection with the kidnapping of businessman Elpidio Patugan along the General Santos City national highway on September 18, 2014.
“The suspects were accused of ‘conspiring, confederating and mutually helping one another, with threats and intimidation through the use of firearms, to unlawfully and feloniously take Patugan of his liberty against his will for the purpose of extorting money,” said the DOJ anti-kidnapping prosecutors.
Records showed that the kidnappers demanded a P15 million ransom in exchange for the safe release of the victim.
Through a series of negotiations, the kidnappers managed to get P405,000 from the victim’s family.
Ms. Pedtucasan/Montilla was arraigned on April 10, 2019 and pleaded not guilty to the charges against her with the assistance of a representative from the Public Attorney’s Office.
The PNP-AKG agent from Cotabato City and his team said they learned that the caller-suspect introduced himself as ‘Fiscal Edzar Alamada’ when he called Patugan’s rent-a-car office telling the victim he wants to hire a car and requested that the victim drive the vehicle.
The caller told the victim that a certain ‘Princess Montilla’ will ride with him from the General Santos City national highway going to the Awang Airport in Cotabato.
The victim was eventually abducted by the suspects who later demanded P15 million ransom from his family.
It was ‘Kumander Rainbow’ who agreed to get the P405,000 reduced ransom money after a 20-day negotiation.
The PNP-AKG investigation also showed that ‘Ms. Pedtucasan/Montilla’ was the one who instructed him to fetch three alleged policemen in Talayan, Maguindanaon who will serve as their escorts.
The three alleged policemen later seized the victim.
After receiving the ransom, the kidnappers released the victim to the two.
During a debriefing, Pantugan identified some of the kidnappers through a photo gallery presented by the PNP-AKG.
The victim also said he was divested of his valuables including cellphone and watch by the kidnappers who put him in handcuffs and chains and given little food and water during his days in captivity.
