Three suspects involved in a kidnap-for-ransom scheme were arrested, and two victims were rescued during a checkpoint operation in Bokod, Benguet, on January 22.
According to Bokod Municipal Police Station Acting Chief PCapt. Gilbert Anselmo, the arrests took place at a Comelec checkpoint along the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road in Gurel, Poblacion, following reports of a suspected kidnapping incident.
Authorities identified a vehicle matching the description provided in a tip, prompting them to stop and inspect it. Inside, they discovered three suspects and two alleged kidnapping victims.
The suspects were not immediately named, but two were residents of Tinoc, Ifugao, while one hailed from Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya.
The victims, a 59-year-old businessman and a 55-year-old caretaker, were reportedly from Pangasinan.
PCapt. Anselmo disclosed that an additional accomplice, reportedly an AWOL police officer, managed to evade arrest.
The Bokod police coordinated with the Nueva Vizcaya Police Provincial Office and the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), which led to the apprehension of two more suspects in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.
The victims are now safe, while the suspects face charges for Kidnap-for-Ransom, Violation of the Omnibus Election Code (Comelec Gun Ban), and other related offenses.