Loan sharks move to dismiss raps over abduction of debtors

MANILA — The “loan sharks” who were charged for allegedly abducting Asian nationals who owe them money asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to dismiss the complaint filed by Philippine National Police (PNP) against them.

In his counter-affidavit, Ernesto Marella denied that he and the other respondents held Chinese national Liu Xia and South Koreans Yeum Sunki and Park Pan Ho against their will, saying the three “voluntarily agreed to stay’ with them until they could settle their debts.

Marella’s counter-affidavit was adopted by his co-respondents Jomar Dela Pena, Alexander Roxas, Ferdie Dionisio and Raymond De Guzman.

Marella maintained good faith when he suggested to the three to stay at his residence in Guiguinto, Bulacan after they could not pay their debts.

He said he did not even ask them to pay for their stay in his residence.

“My purpose was not to illegally detain them as alleged but to provide them board and lodging as they have lost everything to gambling,” he said in his counter-affidavit adding that he allowed them to stay while they were working on how to settle their obligations.

If not for this, he stressed that the complainants would have ended in worse a situation since they have no money to pay for their stay in hotels.

Marella likewise questioned the complainant’s tale arguing how could there be an abduction when “”they went with him to his house without any resistance, force or struggle.”

“If ever there was motive in the filing of kidnapping for ransom and serious illegal detention charges against the respondent, it was only to use or act as a leverage against the debt claims,’ he further said.

The PNP- Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) filed three counts of kidnapping for ransom and serious illegal detention under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) against the five suspects.

During the operation, police arrested the suspects and rescued the victims.

Police learned each of the victims was lent money ranging from PHP600,000 to PHP1 million pesos which they used to gamble in casinos but with 15 percent interests upon pay back.

Failing to pay back their debts due to their casino losses, they got abducted at different dates and kept at the group’s safe house in Bulacan until they pay up.

The group’s modus operandi is to hang out in the casino and look for losing players.

They will approach the losing players and offer to lend them money and eventually detain them when they are unable to pay their debts.