Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Co-mastermind in Que kidnap-slay arrested in Boracay

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A co-mastermind in the kidnapping and killing of Chinese businessman Anson Que and his driver was arrested at a hotel in Boracay in Aklan last Saturday, the PNP announced yesterday.

The arrest of Gong Wenli, alias Kelly Tan Lim, 27, a Chinese, brought to four the number of suspects currently in police custody, including another mastermind, David Tan Liao.

Still at large is another Chinese suspect, Jonin Lin.

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PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said Wenli was arrested at a hotel resort in Boracay. A concerned citizen had earlier offered P10 million for information that would lead to Wenl’s arrest.

Also arrested during the operation was a Chinese hairdresser, identified as Wu Jiabing, who has reportedly been helping Wenli book hotel rooms and disguising Wenli to avoid detection by authorities.

The PNP said Jiabing is facing charges of obstruction of justice, harboring a fugitive, and violation of immigration laws.

Fajardo said they also took into custody the alleged parents and several children of the two.

She said the PNP has already coordinated with the Chinese embassy to determine if the two are indeed the parents of Wenli and to look into their records.

The children, Fajardo said, were referred to social workers in Aklan.

Fajardo said Wenli and Jiabing were arrested by personnel from the PNP, Armed Forces and National Security Council.

Fajardo said Wenli served as the “bait” that led to the kidnapping and subsequent killing of Que and his driver, Armanie Pabillo.

Que, owner of the Elison Steel in Valenzuela City, and Pabillo were last seen alive last March 29.

Their captors later contacted the Que family to demand a ransom of $20 million (P1.33 billion). After negotiations, the kidnappers agreed to a P200 million ransom, which was paid by the family in multiple tranches.

Despite the payment of the ransom, Que and his driver were still killed by their kidnappers. Their bodies were found in Rodriguez, Rizal on April 9.

Fajardo said Wenli was also responsible for the conversion of the ransom to cryptocurrency through casino junket operators.

“David Tan Liao appears to be the mastermind and alias Kelly is his co-mastermind,” said Fajardo, adding they already have in custody the “main players” in the kidnap-slay case with the arrest of Wenli.

The two other suspects in police custody are Filipinos Ricardo Austria and Reymark Catequista. The two, along with Lin, were earlier described as the “musclemen” in the kidnap-slaying case.

“Still unaccounted for is Jonin Lin,” said Fajardo, who appealed to the public to report the whereabouts of Lin so that all the suspects in the case will be accounted for and held accountable.

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