Nasugbu alien kidnappers face charges
One of the suspects who allegedly conspired to kidnap three foreign nationals in Nasugbu, Batangas is presented to the media by officials from the National Bureau of Investigation-Organized and Transnational Crimes Division and the Philippine National Police-Anti-Kidnapping Group.
Photograph by JOHN CARLO MAGALLON
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) have filed charges against individuals who allegedly conspired to kidnap three foreign nationals in Nasugbu, Batangas.
NBI director Jaime B. Santiago said Monday that the case stemmed from intelligence reports and a collaborative investigation by the NBI-Organized and Transnational Crimes Division (OTCD) and the PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG).
Authorities began their investigation following a reported kidnap-for-ransom incident on 2 May 2025, involving two Chinese and one Korean national who were abducted while traveling to a fishing trip in Nasugbu, Batangas.
The suspects reportedly intercepted the victims at a fake checkpoint they set up near the Kaybiang Tunnel, close to the Cavite-Batangas boundary.
Disguised as law enforcement officers, the perpetrators allegedly forcibly abducted the three individuals under the pretense of conducting a legitimate police operation.
Subsequent coordination and intelligence operations led to the voluntary surrender of Jomar Pelayo Ubarde on 26 May 2025, at the NBI-OTCD headquarters in Pasay City.
During a custodial investigation with his legal counsel present, Ubarde reportedly made a sworn extrajudicial confession, admitting his involvement in the surveillance, coordination, and logistical planning of the abduction.
He identified Danilo Lominoque Abilong as the alleged mastermind and a man known as John Nelson Ladrera, alias “Master,” as the individual responsible for recruiting operational assets for the actual kidnapping.
In a separate sworn statement, Danilo Abilong reportedly corroborated the key details provided by Ubarde as he recounted being promised financial compensation for his cooperation in planting a GPS tracking device and monitoring the movements of his employer, one of the victims, under the guise of assisting a law enforcement operation.
He also confirmed the alleged involvement of “Master,” who he said coordinated with the individuals who posed as law enforcement personnel to carry out the abduction.