Surigao del Sur accident leads to arrest of alleged kidnapping gang – report

A freak motorcycle accident in Surigao del Sur's Tandag City Friday led to the arrest of seven suspected members of a kidnapping gang, a radio report said.

The Philippine National Police's Regional Office 13 said one suspect was initially arrested after figuring in a motorcycle accident, Bombo Radyo reported.

When the injured motorcycle rider was brought to hospital, police officers became suspicious when they found P30,500 in the rider's bag.

This was the same ransom amount allegedly paid for the release of a local trader's 22-year-old offspring.

This led to a series of follow-up operations in which six more suspects were arrested, one of whom was identified as Alexander Goloran Bentoso, 44. Bentoso faces charges of murder and frustrated murder before the San Francisco, Agusan del Sur court.

Police officers were also able to recover several guns, ammunition, P85,000 in marked money, mobile phones, bladed weapons, a motorcycle, and sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu).

The six other suspects were not immediately identified so as not to preempt follow-up operations. —Joel Locsin/DVM, GMA News