AN OFFICIAL of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Northern Mindanao said they are now hunting down three more men tagged as accomplices of the five policemen accused of kidnapping Enrique Fernandez III last October 23.
NBI-Northern Mindanao acting assistant regional director lawyer Hans Barbaso identified on Wednesday, November 16, the alleged police "assets" as Rolando Udasco alias "Tatay" Udasco, an alias Boy Guevarra and a yet unidentified police asset.
Barbaso said the three police assets were identified by the witnesses and were also seen in the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera recording of the alleged abduction.
The three, still at-large, will be charged with kidnapping for participation through conspiracy, the NBI-Northern Mindanao official said.
"Bisan dili ka apil sa actual nga pagkuha but masulod sa principle sa conspiracy kung mapamatud-an so ang crime sa usa, crime pud nimo. Although, kana ilang pagka-asset daw pwede nila i-deny. Posible sila maoy gahatag sa info nga naa ang victim kay sila man maoy balik-balik pangutana (Even if you weren't involved in the crime as long as it fits in the principle of conspiracy if proven, the other's crime becomes yours. Although they can deny their being asset, it's also possible that they gave the info that the victim was there because they keep on asking)," Barbaso said.
Barbaso said that according to the witnesses, the three were observed looking for the victim at the bingo club the night prior to the incident.
The principal suspects, Senior Inspector Ereneo Ramirez, chief of the Crime Against Person and Property Desk (CAPPD) and his subordinates Police officer 3 (PO3) Alejandro Ubanan, Senior Police Officer 2 (SPO2) Jojo Lim, SPO1 Alaindelon Tacubao, and PO2 Sangkula Hussein, have already been detained at the NBI-Northern Mindanao jail facility following their arrest at Camp Vicente Alagar, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City, Tuesday, November 15.
The five underwent inquest proceedings Wednesday, November 16, at the NBI-Northern Mindanao office.
Barbaso said they are now awaiting the resolution of the inquest done by fiscals from the City Prosecutors’ Office.
"Wala sila nag [They did not] execute og [a] waiver so we are awaiting for the result of the resolution sa inquest prosecution. Depende sa findings sa fiscal kung i-file ba sa korte (It will depend on the fiscal's findings, if it will be filed in court)," Barbaso said.
Barbaso said the NBI will have custody of the suspects until a commitment order is issued ordering the transfer the suspects to the City Jail at Lumbia village.
He also said they have already taken statements from three witnesses against the five policemen and their three accomplices.
Barbaso said one of the three witnesses is Merideth Mah, the victim's live-in-partner.
The NBI official said Mah provided corroborative statements on the alleged kidnapping that could prove helpful to the case.
The NBI earlier cited Mah’s recent disposal of a property worth P6.5 million as a possible motive for the supposed kidnapping.
Barbaso said Mah’s last contact with Fernandez was on the morning of his disappearance on October 23.
Mah supposedly told the NBI that Fernandez told her that he will be playing bingo.
Mah is the mother of the late Stacey Villar whose late father, Anselmo Quisumbing Villar Jr., owned several real properties in the city.
Stacey Villar is the 14-year-old Abbas’ Orchard student who was brutally murdered allegedly by Mah's former lover August last year.
