The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) confirmed Friday, Dec. 2, that a former Philippine Navy (PN) personnel accused of being involved in a kidnapping incident in Cavite is a detainee at the Metro Manila District Jail in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
BJMP spokesperson Supt. Xavier Solda said that Julian Paningbatan Jr. was among the suspects in a kidnapping incident in Silang, Cavite despite him being in jail.
According to an ABS-CBN report, four kidnapping victims were abducted in Silang, Cavite but managed to escape from their captors along EDSA Balintawak last Nov. 29 after turning loose the rope that tied their hands behind their backs.
Solda said the victims were transacting via text message to an individual who wished to pawn a property before they were abducted.
The suspect turned out to be Paningbatan, Solda said.
A week before the kidnapping incident, Solda said that a cellular phone was confiscated from Paningbatan’s possession during a BJMP greyhound or search operation.
The cellphone will be subjected to an investigation to determine if it was the same gadget used to transact with the kidnap victims, Solda said.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigation and Detention Unit (CIDU) of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) is currently undertaking follow-up operations to determine Paningbatan’s cohorts in the kidnapping incident.
"The former Navy personnel detained at the Metro Manila District Jail is still incarcerated. One of the challenges we face is the illegal entry of contraband like cellular phones. So, we will investigate how it was brought in," Solda stated.
Solda admitted that there are individuals still trying to bring in contrabands in their jail facilities. He assured the public that the BJMP will intensify its greyhound operations to prevent the entry of contrabands inside their facilities.
Pamingbatan was detained after allegedly shooting to death his ex-girlfriend and two others in Brgy. Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City last August 21.