Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo confirmed the arrest of three suspects in the kidnapping and killing of businessman Anson Que and his driver during a press conference on April 19.
Two of the suspects—Richardo David Austria and Raymart Catequista—were arrested around 3 A.M. on Friday, April 18, in Roxas, Palawan, according to Fajardo.
The third suspect, Chinese national David Tan Liao, surrendered to the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) on April 19.
Liao admitted to his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and killing of Anson Que and his driver, Armanie Pabillo.
The three suspects have undergone inquest proceedings, where two counts of kidnapping with homicide were filed against them. They are currently in the custody of PNP-AKG.
On April 10, the bodies of Que and Pabillo were found with their arms tied behind their backs and stuffed inside nylon bags, and dumped in Rodriguez, Rizal.
The victims were last seen alive on March 29 in Valenzuela City.
According to reports, Que’s family sent three ransom payments to the kidnappers, totalling ₱100 million, but the victims were still killed.
Case ‘solved’, strings untied
Following the arrest of the three suspects, PNP Chief General Rommel Marbil declared, “Case solved. Justice served,” in an interview, lauding the swift resolution.
“This was not a random act of kidnap-for-ransom, but a calculated kidnap-for-hire operation,” Marbil said.
He also added that the “mastermind behind the brutal plot” will be identified and formally charged within the week.
According to the PNP investigation, the plot was orchestrated by Liao, a Chinese citizen also known by several aliases: “Xiao Chang Jiang”, “Yang”, “Jianmin”, and “Michael Agad Yung”.
"Unlike traditional kidnap-for-ransom syndicates, David Tan Liao personally directed a rogue kidnap-for-hire operation—a shadowy and transactional criminal enterprise where he recruited and paid local henchmen to carry out abductions and executions,” Marbil said.
“These were not random acts but deliberate, contract-based crimes targeting individuals embroiled in disputes over unpaid debts, betrayals, or internal conflicts," he added.
Masterminds still on the run
Meanwhile, Fajardo confirmed that two other Chinese “principals” involved in the crime remain at large.
“They were also present during the time the victims were held inside the house. These two were with David Tan Liao himself. So aside from the two Filipino suspects, there were a total of five individuals present when the victims were detained,” said Fajardo.
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