Cops looking for policeman said to be leader of kidnap group
The Philippine National Police is hunting for Superintendent Johnny Orme for being the alleged leader in the alleged kidnap-slay of casino junket Carlos Tan.
PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group director Senior Superintendent Glenn Dumlao said Orme is also facing drug charges at Rizal province.
Orme is assigned at Southern Police District Holding Administrative Unit. He is a former intelligence officer at Paranaque Police Station but was relieved because of the failed buy-bust operation in Batangas Port.
According to Dumlao, he was assigned before with the PNP Maritime Group in Batangas where he met a certain Alex Gozum who is allegedly the financier of his group.
"Both are always seen in Resorts World and Solaire (Resort and Casino) in the guise that Superintendent Orme asked for investments from his classmates, upperclass, underclass to make it appear that he is the financier in the casino," he said.
Dumlao said they can't determine the exact date since Orme started operating but based on their backtracking, the group did abductions in the past.
"Base on our backtracking and audit of the cases in Entertainment City, (Senior Police Officer 1 Benjamin) Pagarigan confirmed one incident, their P10 million kidnap for ransom on one who is from Multinational Village who operates an online gambling business,” he said.
Based on reports, Senior Police Officer 1 Benjamin Pagarigan surrendered to the authorities. Four, one of whom is a police officer from the Quezon City Police District, were killed in an operation last Friday.
Tan's driver, who was released by the abductors, recalled hearing two gun shots. Police later found out Tan was killed.
Meanwhile, Police Officer 3 Arman Labrado, assigned with the Quezon City Police District, was arrested last Sunday.
Police are hunting for Gozum, and one John Doe, a tipster. Ella Dionisio/DMS
