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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Five men get 40 years jail term for kidnapping trader in 2013

Five men get 40 years jail term for kidnapping trader in 2013

Published Apr 23, 2026 12:02 pm
After more than 13 years, five men have been convicted of kidnapping for ransom with homicide for the abduction and killing of a businessman in Antipolo City in 2013.
Convicted by Antipolo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Rey R. Lor were Mark Stanly Banghulot, Romeo Baluran, Rudy Benega, Teody Maghuyop and Adam Paulin.
They were sentenced to a prison term ranging from 20 to 40 years of reclusion perpetua and ordered to pay the heirs of businessman Jose Saribong P100,000 in civil indemnity and P890,000 in actual damages.
Court records showed that Banghulot and his group abducted Saribong on Jan 13, 2013 and during the abduction the businessman’s driver, Jimmy Palermon, was killed.
The same records stated that despite the payment of P890,000 ransom, Saribong was still killed by his abductors.
The five accused were charged with kidnapping for ransom with homicide under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) in the killing of Saribong.
In a decision promulgated last April 16, the RTC said: “After due consideration of the pieces of evidence on record, the Court is convinced that the totality and confluence of the prosecution’s evidence sufficiently established beyond reasonable doubt the commission by the accused, in conspiracy with one another, of the crime of kidnapping for ransom with homicide against Jose Saribong.”
The trial court cited the testimony of state witness Randy Bongabong who voluntarily approached the Philippine National Police (PNP) to report the crime.
Bongabong testified that he participated in the kidnapping and witnessed the killing of Saribong who was shot by Baluran inside the living room of the house of Banghulot.
He also testified that it was Banghulot who drove the vehicle that carried the victim’s body which was taken to a farm in Sitio Kulasis in San Isidro, Antipolo City.
In convicting the five accused, the RTC said: “The testimony of witness Bongabong on the key and principal occurrences during the kidnapping of Jose Saribong vis-a-vis the identity and participation of the accused are duly corroborated by the pieces of evidence on record.”

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