PNP-SAF ‘disowns’ officer linked to kidnap-murder case

MANILA, Philippines - An elite unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has disowned one of its officers who had been linked to the kidnap-murder of two people in Cavite province. In a statement released Friday, the PNP-Special Action Force said it has stripped Chief Inspector Exequiel Cautiver the "authority to wear the black beret, SAF badge, and Commando tab," the distinctive headgear and insignia of the elite police commando unit. "Cautiver violated the SAF tradition of discipline and proper conduct. He does not deserve to wear the SAF beret and badge anymore," said Chief Superintendent Leocadio Santiago Jr, SAF director. Santiago said that a SAF trooper who had been stripped of authority to wear the SAF badge and beret is like a lawyer disbarred or a priest defrocked. As standard operating procedure, all SAF troopers are issued General Orders by the SAF Headquarters before they are allowed to wear the black beret, SAF badge and Commando tab. At the same time, Santiago said he has ordered summary dismissal proceedings against Cautiver and SAF trainee, P01 Reniel Abogado, a co-accused in the Cañete-Garay kidnap-murder case. At the time of his arrest on July 4, Cautiver served as officer-in-charge of the SAF Training Battalion. He is linked to the kidnapping and murder of retired pilot Demosthenes Cañete and his driver, Allan Garay. On the other hand, Abogado remains at large. The Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER) filed a case for kidnapping-for-ransom against Cautiver, Abogado, ex-Vice Mayor Victor Carungcong, Alejandrito Entolizo Jr, Gary Pateo, and Mariano de Leon alias Spider. The charge was later amended to the complex crime of kidnapping for ransom with murder after the bodies of the two victims were found. - GMANews.TV