CABANATUAN CITY – Another police officer in the controversial kidnap-slay of a female online seller surrendered at the city police station here at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
City police chief Lt. Col. Julius Caezar Manucdoc said Police Senior Master Sergeant Rowen Martin, 41, resident of San Leonardo town, was accompanied by lawyer Shiela Gatchalian when he turned himself in.
Martin, a member of the city police station, also surrendered his service firearm, a Glock 17 with Serial No. PNP 26749.
In his report, Manucdoc said Martin has been placed under the custody of the CCPS “for proper disposition.”
Martin was among the five policemen and two civilians tagged in the kidnap-slay of Nadia Casar, 35, whose body was found burnt in Imelda Valley, Palayan City on Aug. 1.
The others were PSSG Benedict Matias Reyes, assigned at the Sta. Rosa Municipal Police Station in Nueva Ecija; PSSG June Malillin, of the Palayan City Police Station; PCPL Julius Alcantara, of the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office Drug Enforcement Unit; and PSSG Drextemir Esmundo, assigned at the Cabiao Municipal Police Station; and civilians Franklin Macapagal and Dario Robarios.
They were identified by a witness to the crime.
Esmundo, and Macapagal remain at-large.
All the suspects have been charged at the Department of Justice.
According to the police anti-kidnapping group, Casar and a Grab driver she hired were kidnapped by at least five men at around 1:45 p.m. of July 20 in Barangay Tagpos, Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija. The Grab driver was robbed of his cellular phone and P4,500 cash and released by the kidnappers at around 3 a.m. of July 21.
The burnt body of the kidnap victim was recovered on Sunday, August 1, at around 2:30 p.m. at Sitio Pinagpala, Barangay Imelda Valley, Palayan City, where it was buried by the suspects.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar directed the Internal Affairs Service to immediately initiate summary dismissal proceedings against the five cops and tasked the AKG and the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group to conduct manhunt operations against the three suspects who remain at large.
“Mariin nating kinokondena ang pangyayaring ito. Sinisiguro ko sa inyong masisibak sa serbisyo at pananagutin natin sa batas ang lahat ng pulis na sangkot sa pagdukot at pagpatay kay Nadia Casar,” Eleazar said.
