Court finds 5 guilty of kidnapping, killing of Saribong in 2013

The 2013 abduction and killing of businessman Jose Saribong, as Regional Trial Court Branch 138 handed down a landmark conviction against five accused.

In a 39-page decision dated 16 April 2026, the court found Mark Stanly Banghulot y Subejano, Romeo Baluran, Rudy Benega, Teody Maghuyop, and Adam Paulin guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of Kidnapping for Ransom with Homicide under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code.

All five were sentenced to reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole and ordered to jointly and severally pay the heirs of Saribong P100,000 in civil indemnity and P890,000 in actual damages.

The case involved a violent abduction of Saribong at the gates of Golden Meadows Subdivision, where his driver, Jimmy Palermo, was also killed in cold blood. 

The kidnappers demanded P40 million in ransom, and despite partial payment from the victim’s family, Saribong was ultimately murdered after eight days in captivity.

Prosecutors described the ruling as the culmination of a painstaking and airtight case built by Deputy State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas, whose work was credited for leaving the defense with no reasonable doubt to exploit.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) hailed the conviction as a strong message to fugitives and criminal syndicates that time does not erase accountability.

“This conviction serves as a stern warning to criminal elements who believe they can outrun the law,” the DOJ said, reaffirming its commitment to pursue violent offenders and ensure lasting accountability for heinous crimes.