The Quezon City Regional Trial Court rendered a verdict of life sentence recently to two (2) men found guilty of kidnapping for ransom a Fil-Chinese architect-businessman.

In receipt of the decision, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima lauded today two (2) DOJ prosecutors and QC RTC Judge Henri Jean-Paul Inting for the conviction of the accused. "Let this serve as a warning to criminals that our law enforcement and court authorities will sustain our commitment to render justice to all," the Secretary said. She commended State Prosecutors Sebastian Caponong and Arlie Arlilam Ramos for the successful conviction of the accused.

QC RTC Judge Inting meted the penalty of reclusion perpetua against Rayan Domla y Amil, Christopher Nanson y Nocellado and Christopher R. Olaguera, who remains at large. As the court found the accused liable under Art. 267 of the Revised Penal Code, it ordered the indemnity of the private complainant actual damages of P300,000.00 and moral damages in the amount of P50,000.00. He also ordered the case against Christopher Olaguera to be archived and to be revived upon his arrest. As to the amount of PI ,087,800.00 allegedly left at the place where the kidnappers dictated the family of the complainant to oblige, the court did not consider such as actual damages as the prosecution failed to prove the money was actually delivered to or received by the accused.

Investigation showed the private complainant was in a car and about to enter his house in Tandang Sora, Quezon City when two cars parked with several men inside immediately grabbed and dragged him in one of their vehicles after slamming the window of his car; threatening him to step out of the car as he has a pending case at Camp Crame. On the way to the group's safehouse in Quezon City, the victim was able to retain facial identity of two of the abductors (Domla and Nanson) before his head was tucked with a bonnet, and during the duration of his stay where he was detained.

While in captivity for seventeen (17) days from September 10 to 27, 2008, and through his cell phone, immediate family members of the victim were asked P70,000,000.00 ransom for his safe rdease. A sum of P300,000.00 was deposited to his ATtvl and later withdrawn by the kidnappers until the P 1,087,800.00 was delivered in the several places dictated by the kidnappers.

The whereabouts of the victim was traced after nearby residents at their hideout informed the police on unusual and suspicious movements of occupants in the house vvhere he was kept. Discreet surveillance ensued, as police used a dump truck as decoy to be able to confirm whether the victim was indeed in the house pointed to by the residents. Police officers were able to see the inside of the house and observed that the suspicious male persons had handguns tucked inside their shirts and were coming in and out of the house and saw inside the open window of
the house a person who was blindfolded and with hands and feet chained.

Police operatives raided the house and caught the accused Christopher Nanson coming out of the room and frisked him out of the garage. Rayan Domla, on the other hand, was seen to arrive at the house where the victim was rescued alighting from a tricycle and hurriedly ordering the driver to leave immediately upon seeing the yellow ribbon marker of "police line do not cross." Suspicious of his instantly leaving the area, DOlnia was accosted and prevailed upon by local police unit (brgy. tanod); and turned over to the near police station and later to the office of PACER, Camp Crame.

Assisted by their public lawyer during the trial, the accused interposed the defense of alibi. In view of the clear testimony of the private complainant, the court set aside the contention of the defense, saying "the testimony of private complainant, it very clear that he was detained for more than 17 days when he was rescued by the police officers," the decision stated. "Without a doubt, the two accused were two of those armed men who kidnapped private complainant for the purpose of extorting ransom from the latter's family for his release," Judge Inting stressed in his decision.