Police arrests ex-PDEA agent, 3 others tagged in carnapping, kidnapping of 2 Chinese

During a press conference on Friday, June 8, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde identified the suspects as Mark Anthony Roque, a dismissed Police Officer 1 assigned at the PNP-Crime Laboratory; Arnold Camayang, a former Intelligence Agent 1 of PDEA; Alvin Jay Roque, a traffic constable of MMDA; and a certain Christian John Talaue. (Photo: Philippine National Police/Facebook)

Police arrested a former agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), a dismissed policeman, a traffic constable of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and a civilian for their alleged involvement in the recent carnapping and kidnapping of two Chinese nationals in Quezon City.

During a press conference on Friday, June 8, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde identified the suspects as Mark Anthony Roque, a dismissed Police Officer 1 assigned at the PNP-Crime Laboratory; Arnold Camayang, a former Intelligence Agent 1 of PDEA; Alvin Jay Roque, a traffic constable of MMDA; and a certain Christian John Talaue.

Albaylde said that on May 25, the two suspects, Mark Anthony and Camayang, blocked the vehicle of the victims, Wu Shaowei and Wu Yaochui, in a gasoline station near a supermarket along Congressional Avenue in Quezon City and introduced themselves as policemen. The victims were on a white Toyota commuter van, while the two armed suspects were on board a gray Toyota commuter van.

The suspects handcuffed the victims and transferred them to their vehicles, while the victim’s van was driven away by Camayang and later left parked at a gasoline station in Balintawak, Quezon City.

Mark Anthony and Camayang initially demanded a P3 million ransom; however, the victims asked them to lower the demand to P300,000. Wu then asked the suspects to get the money from his home at Congressional Village in Project 8, Quezon City.

Upon getting the money, the suspects took Wu’s Toyota Fortuner and another Toyota commuter van both parked in his garage.

The victim immediately reported the incident to the Talipapa Police Station for investigation. The report was later turned over to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) and Anti-Carnapping Unit (ANCAR).

On June 6, the PNP chief revealed that a confidential informant spotted the victim’s white and gray Toyota Hiace commuter vans parked along Bulusan Street, corner Amoranto Street in Quezon City. This prompted the authorities to conduct a stakeout that led to the arrest of Alvin Jay and Talaue.

The two suspects were arrested on Thursday, June 7, at 5:30 a.m. while driving the victim’s white Toyota van. The police also recovered in the area the gray Toyota commuter van.

Also on Thursday, Albayalde said that Wu, along with the police, went to Camp Crame to verify a report on the arrest of Mark Anthony.

Mark Anthony on June 6 was arrested in an anti-carnapping operation by the PNP-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG), along McArthur Highway near Our Lady of Fatima University in Valenzuela City.

The police said the suspect arrogantly introduced himself as a police officer but was later arrested for driving a Toyota Hiace Grandia with no plate number and conduction sticker. The suspect, who was dismissed from police service on November 12, 2016 for serious neglect of duty, could not present any document to prove that he owns the vehicle.

The victim positively identified Mark Anthony as the person who forcibly took away his vehicle along with Camayang.

Camayang was also arrested at the parking lot of the PNP-HPG in Camp Crame when he was about to drive the victim’s Toyota Fortuner.

The authorities recovered the victim’s vehicles and the PNP identification card of Mark Anthony.

Mark Anthony and Camayang will be charged with kidnapping, robbery, and violation of Republic Act (RA) 4136 or Land Transportation and Traffic Code and usurpation of authority, while charges of carnapping and anti-fencing will be lodged against Alvin Jay and Talaue.

The top cop urged other victims to come forward and report similar incidents to the authorities.

“Whether foreigner or local, ‘pag may mga insidente na ganyan dapat i-report talaga sa (if there are incidents like that, it must really be reported to the) PNP. Report immediately to the nearest police stations of any incidents or any crimes committed especially against sa kanila (them),” Albayalde said.