FIVE individuals have been found guilty by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court for kidnapping for ransom of two minors in Cubao, Quezon City in 2013.
In a 21-page ruling promulgated on April 8, 2025, Quezon City RTC Branch 94 Presiding Judge Roslyn Rabara-Tria said the prosecution panel headed by Deputy State Prosecutor Olivia Laroza-Torrevillas presented sufficient evidence to warrant the conviction of the accused.
Court records showed the victims, aged 10 and 15, were onboard a vehicle traversing EDSA-Cubao when another vehicle blocked their way. They were then snatched by the suspects.
A nationwide alarm filed by their mother helped the police track down the vehicle used by the suspects, leading to the rescue of the victims and the apprehension of the suspects.
The vehicle was also found to be involved in a carjacking case.
No ransom was paid to the kidnappers.
The RTC sentenced John Mark Tamalla, Jomel Tamalla, and Bernard Pating to “reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole” since they were found to be the principal accused, while Ma.Theresa Licay and Ma.Andrea Branzuela were convicted as accomplices and sentenced to 10 years and one day of prision mayor to 17 years and four months of reclusion temporal.
The court also ordered them to “jointly and severally” pay the victims P100,000 each in civil indemnity, moral damages, and exemplary damages.
In the same ruling, the court junked the case against Resty Branzuela due to his death during the trial of the case.
Two other accused—Rogel Domingo, Jr. and Ephraim John Evangelista—remain at large.
In a statement, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla commended the prosecution panel for securing the conviction of the accused, even as he urged law enforcement authorities to continue to exert efforts to locate and arrest Domingo and Evangelista.
“This outcome reinforces the importance of thorough investigation and sustained case build-up. The system is working, and accountability is what we strive for,” Remulla added.
NO NEED TO TAP AFP
Malacanang yesterday said there is no need to tap the military, particularly its intelligence group, to help address the reported spate of kidnappings in the country.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, in a briefing in Malacanang, said the PNP is on top of the situation, adding there is no widespread kidnapping spree in the country.
Castro said it is “fake news.”
“Wala pong widespread na (katulad nang) pinapakalat din ng iba na may widespread, kidnappings spree in the country. Hindi po iyan totoo, malaki pong fake news siya [There is no widespread, unlike what others claim, there’s no widespread kidnapping spree in the country. That’s not true. That is a big fake news],” she said.
Castro said the PNP, through police chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, has also already said the situation is firmly under control and the strategies they have adopted are effective in taking criminal networks down.
She said the PNP also felt that some of the kidnapping cases that happened recently are “isolated, calculated acts rooted in personal and financial vendettas.”
Castro said it would be best to allow the PNP to do its job and wait and see if they would come up with new strategies, including tapping the military intelligence if such a need arises.
Surigao Rep. Johnny Pimentel has called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to tap the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) to assist the PNP in taking down kidnapping groups and addressing kidnapping incidents that pose threats to public safety and national security.
The call was made after the recent kidnapping and killing of businessman Anson Que and his driver Armanie Pabillo.
Three suspects in the case have been arrested and police are looking for two others.
PNP COMMITTEES
The PNP has established two specialized committees that seek to enhance the police force’s fight against kidnapping and fake news.
One of the committees, the Joint Anti-Kidnapping Action Committee (JAKAC), is headed by Lt. Gen. Edgar Allan Okubo, the PNP’s Chief of the Directorial Staff.
The other committee, Joint Anti-Fake News Action Committee (JAFNAC), is headed by Lt. Gen. Robert Rodriguez, the PNP deputy chief for operations.
In a statement last Sunday night, the PNP said JAKAC “will focus on identifying, investigating, and neutralizing organized kidnap-for-hire operations in the country.”
The JAFNAC, the PNP said, “will address the growing menace of misinformation and disinformation that threaten public trust, peace, and national stability.”
“These committees are not just organizational measures—they are proactive responses to modern-day threats,” said Marbil.
“From kidnap-for-hire syndicates to digital disinformation campaigns, the PNP is moving decisively to protect our people. This is our commitment to Bagong Pilipinas—ensuring that law and truth prevail,” added Marbil.
Police also said the spread of fake news has posed “significant challenges.”
It noted the “baseless” claims on social media about the alleged kidnapping of several high-profile businessmen.
It said the fake news caused public alarm, vowing to pursue the people behind the “malicious posts.”
The PNP said the establishment of JAFNAC “is a direct response to these incidents and aims to institutionalize coordination, monitoring, and response strategies to combat disinformation across all platforms.”
“Fake news is not harmless—it can incite fear, panic, and even unrest. Under Bagong Pilipinas, we are taking a firm stand. We will not allow deception to dictate the public narrative,” said Marbil.
JAKAC and the JAFNAC are expected to supervise operations of various police units, including the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group in the case of JAKAC and the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group in the case of JAFNAC.
The PNP said the establishment of the two committees shows its commitment to “transparent, accountable, and proactive policing.”
“These initiatives are grounded on the principle that a secure and informed citizenry is key to national development,” it added.
IMEE: I DON’T KNOW HIM
Sen. Imee Marcos yesterday said she does not personally know the Chinese man alleged to be behind the kidnapping and murder of Que and Pabillo.
Marcos issued the denial after photos of David Tan Liao, together with Imee and former Palace spokesman Harry Roque, surfaced online after Liao surrendered to the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group last week.
Marcos said the photo was taken in the Marcos ancestral home in San Juan City during the Chinese New Year, and denied that she knew Liao.
She said it has been a family tradition to throw a party in their ancestral house every Chinese New Year since their father, the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr., is of Chinese descent.
“I really do not know them. It was Chinese New Year and each year we throw a party in my father’s old house in San Juan City because my father’s family is Chinoy [Chinese-Filipino]. The Marcos family name was formerly Chua, while Edralin is Lim. That’s why we have a party there during Chinese New Year,” she said in a chance interview in Cainta, Rizal.
She said since the party was for Chinoys, many guests came and went and had their pictures taken with her or of any other government official present during the occasion.
Liao, a Chinese who is also known as Xiao Chang Jiang, Yang Jianmin, and Michael Agad Yung, is one of three suspects now under the custody of the PNP. – With Jocelyn Montemayor, Victor Reyes and Raymond Africa
