The Baguio City RTC meted life sentence to a hotel owner and four (4) others for masterminding the abduction of his own business partner and close family friend.

Baguio City RTC Judge Edilberto Claraval meted the penalty of Reclusion Perpetua against Denise Robin Siy, Eduardo Mangawili, Ruben Loalo, Patricio Benos, Jr. and Augusto Mariano.

“The conviction demonstrated our resolve to put behind bars anyone who undermines to defy our laws,” Justice Secretary Leila M. De Lima said after receipt of the October 7, 2011 decision of the Baguio City RTC where Olongapo City Prosecutor Emilie Fe Delos Santos together with Asst. State Prosecutors Ma. Lourdes C. Uy and Olivia L. Torrevillas successfully prosecuted the case.

The Secretary said the conviction measures up with the President’s marching order and expectation for speedy disposition of crime cases, urging prosecutors to double-time efforts with the courts to secure more convictions to restore the people’s faith in the justice system.

Judge Claravall, in the case PP. vs. Denise Robin Siy, et al., sentenced all accused to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua. The court found the accused to have all conspired in abducting their victim who is a hotel manager and close friend of the accused-mastermind Denise Siy. The victim was detained four (4) days until his family agreed to pay PhP1.495 million ransom which was recovered in the possession of accused Siy and returned by police operatives upon arrest of the culprits.

Court records show that a witness who is the operator of the gambling joint in the hotel owned by Siy, testified he was told by the latter several hours after the abduction “huwag kang maingay, bibigyan kita ng balato,”(Keep your mouth shut, a six-digit reward awaits you).

The defenses posited by the other accused which consisted of mere denials were overtaken by positive testimony of the witness and the victim thereby giving “rational to conclude that all accused acted in conspiracy with each other,” the court decision stated.