PNP CHIEF Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil yesterday said that the kidnap-slay of businessman Anson Que and his driver has been solved with the surrender last Friday of Chinese David Tan Liao and the arrest of two others.
Marbil said they are now focused on the financiers – “the real power behind these blood-for-hire operations”
“Case solved. Justice served. This was not a random act of kidnap-for-ransom, but a calculated kidnap-for-hire operation,” Marbil, adding Liao, also known as Xiao Chang Jiang, Yang, Jianmin and Michael Agad Yung, was also involved in five other kidnapping cases.
“With six major cases now resolved, our focus is on the financiers,” Marbi said.
Liao surrendered to the PNP last Friday and admitted his participation in the crime, the PNP said.
He surrendered to authorities after two other suspects, Raymart Catequista and Richard Tan Garcia, were arrested in Roxas, Palawan earlier that day.
Police investigators filed charges of kidnapping with homicide against Liao, Catequista, and Garcia last Saturday.
Que, the owner of Ellison Steel in Valenzuela City and his driver, Armanie Pabillo, were last seen alive last March 29 at around 2 p.m. after leaving the businessman’s office in Valenzuela City.
Police said the victims arrived at a house on Martha St .in Villacor Village, Barangay Langka, Meycauayan, Bulacan. Their bodies were found in Rodriguez, Rizal, last April 9.
Police said the suspects demanded $20 million (P1.33 billion) in ransom but the Que family ended up paying P200 million in cryptocurrency sent in multiple tranches. Despite the payment, the suspects still killed the victims.
Marbil said the PNP’s “swift case buildup, pursuit operations, and intelligence coordination” led to the dismantling of Liao’s network and solving the Que kidnapping and the five other “major kidnap-for-hire cases.”
Marbil did not elaborate on the five cases involving Liao and his henchmen.
Marbil also vowed to identify and charge within the week the mastermind behind the kidnapping and killing of Que and Pabillo.
“There will be no refuge for criminals who turn vengeance into violence. The message is clear — the rule of law prevails —and it will be enforced without fear or favor,” said Marbil.
In a statement yesterday, the PNP Public Information Office (PIO) said Liao “personally directed a rogue kidnap-for-hire operation—a shadowy and transactional criminal enterprise where he recruited and paid local henchmen to carry out abductions and executions.”
It said these kidnapping incidents “were not random acts but deliberate, contract-based crimes targeting individuals embroiled in disputes over unpaid debts, betrayals, or internal conflicts.”
“In effect, Liao’s criminal scheme operated like a rogue collection agency—except they collected through blood,” said Marbil.
The PNP said investigators were able to establish that the kidnapping of Que was planned as early as last January.
Marbil said there is no widespread kidnapping in the country.
“These are isolated, calculated acts rooted in personal and financial vendettas. The situation is firmly under control. Our law enforcement strategies are effective. Criminal networks are being taken down,” said Marbil.
In a statement last Saturday night, the PIO said two foreigners are “key figures in the crime,” but they remain elusive.
“They were allegedly present at the location when the victims were being held captive,” said statement said.
“The PNP assures the public that it is exhausting all means to locate and apprehend the remaining suspects to deliver full justice to the victims and their families,” it added.
The family of Que expressed its gratitude to President Marcos Jr., Marbil, other PNP officials and the police force for the arrest of the suspects.
“Your tireless efforts made a real difference in the early arrest of the malefactors and we are grateful for your perseverance. We highly appreciate your bravery and courage in keeping our community safe,” the family said in a statement issued by lawyer Mei Go.
The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) commended the PNP for its “considerable efforts and commitment” to solve the crime.
“Their diligent, behind-the-scenes work has yielded significant initial results. We also recognize the unwavering leadership and strategic direction provided by the Chief of the Philippine National Police, Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, whose decisive actions and steadfast dedication have played an integral role in advancing this case,” the VACC said.
The VACC said it expects the complete resolution of the case, encompassing the identification and prosecution of all the suspects, including the mastermind.
“We express our profound gratitude for the restoration of public trust and confidence in law enforcement, the cornerstone of our criminal justice system. On behalf of the Filipino people, we offer our sincere appreciation for your service as guardians of justice,” it added.
GATCHALIAN WEIGHS IN
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian urged the PNP to ensure that everyone involved in the kidnap-slaying of Que and Pabillo are identified and held fully accountable.
“We must ensure that everyone involved in this heinous act – whether as perpetrators, accomplices, or masterminds – is identified and held fully accountable,” Gatchalian said in a statement.
He commended the PNP for its swift and relentless action, which led to the arrest of three suspects.
“I commend the Philippine National Police for its swift and relentless action that led to the arrest of the suspects in the heinous kidnapping and killing of Anson Que and his driver Armanie Pabillo…It is our responsibility to uphold and protect the lives of our countrymen. Let this serve as a message: Justice will catch up with those who choose to sow fear and violence in our communities,” he said. – With Raymond Africa
