Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Wednesday hailed the conviction of seven people involved in the kidnap-for-ransom of a 78-year-old businesswoman who was rescued during a bank operation in Quezon City.

This case marks the first high-profile kidnapping solved under Nartatez’s leadership and served as an initial test case for the police force’s Enhanced Managing Police Operations strategy.

The victim, whose family runs a large-scale manufacturing business, was forcibly taken by armed men along C3 Road in Quezon City on 2 September last year. The kidnappers initially demanded a P150 million ransom from her family.

While investigators initially struggled to identify the perpetrators behind the highly organized abduction, members of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group eventually tracked the suspects to a safehouse in Batangas province.

The turning point in the case occurred when the kidnappers brought the elderly victim to a bank in Quezon City to withdraw P8 million. Police moved in, rescued the woman safely, and arrested three suspects on the scene.

Eight additional suspects, including former military personnel, were arrested during subsequent follow-up operations.

“This case is proof not only of good planning and conduct of operations but also efficient case build-up,” Nartatez said. “In just nine months, we were able to get the conviction of seven kidnappers, including the mastermind and former military men.”

A Quezon City court on Tuesday sentenced seven of the suspects to reclusion perpetua, or life imprisonment, without the eligibility of parole. Four other suspects, who acted as aides and caretakers, were acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

Nartatez commended the anti-kidnapping task force and vowed to sustain aggressive operations against criminal syndicates, noting that close coordination with the Department of Justice was crucial to securing the swift convictions.