MANILA – A lower court in Metro Manila sentenced to life imprisonment three workers who kidnapped and killed in 2002 their Filipino-Chinese employer despite the payment of a ransom equivalent to $10,000 for his release.
Meted out the maximum penalty by the Regional Trial Court of suburban Quezon City, Metro Manila were Mario Mowaje, Elino Mayo and Joelito Soquim who were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the kidnap and slaying of their employer, Filipino-Chinese businessman Johnny Chan.
Aside from the jail term, the court ordered the three to reimburse to Chan’s family the $10,000 ransom paid for his release.
In addition, the court also ordered the three to pay $1,000 each to the family of Chan in moral damages.
The three were accused of abducting Chan in the town of Rosario, Batangas province in Southern Luzon in January 2002.
Following the arrest of the suspects, the Supreme Court approved the request of members of the Chan family for the transfer of the trial from Batangas to the Quezon City court because they feared for their safety.
In declaring the three guilty, the court downplayed their denial that they were behind Chan’s kidnapping as it pointed out:
“Denial, when unsubstantiated by clear and convincing evidence, is negative, self-serving and merits no weight in law.”
Court records showed the three, who were employed by Chan, kidnapped the trader in January 2002 and demanded $200,000 in cash as ransom for his safe release.
However, Chan’s wife only succeeded in raising $10,000 and paid the ransom, through Mowaje, who was asked to deliver the money to the kidnappers.
A few days later, the kidnappers called up Chan’s wife and demanded another $2,000 for his release.
This prompted Chan’s wife to seek the help the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force which arrested Mowaje after discovering that he was involved in the kidnapping.
Despite the initial payment of the $10,000 ransom, the family said they never saw Chan again.
The three admitted they killed Chan but they later recanted, claiming they were tortured by the police in admitting the crime.
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