The Philippine National Police on Thursday said it will ask for the removal of the son of slain Filipino-Chinese steel magnate Anson Que from the list of respondents in connection with the kidnap-slay case.
The decision came a day after the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Filipino-Chinese group Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order questioned the claim of the suspect who implicated Que’s 42-year-old son Ronxian Gou or Alvin Que.
PNP spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said David Tan Liao, who surrendered to the PNP, was not able to provide direct evidence to back up his extrajudicial confession implicating Alvin.
“Based on the PNP’s case buildup and investigation, there is no direct evidence linking Mr. Alvin Que to the kidnapping of his father,” Fajardo said.
She said the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) will submit before the Department of Justice today a motion to amend the complaint to remove the name of the younger Que in the list of respondents in the kidnap-slay case.
“The family of Alvin Que was already informed of the intention of the PNP to amend the complaint and remove the name of Alvin from the list of respondents,” she said.
Alvin Que’s legal counsel Kit Belmonte said: “We thank the Philippine National Police under the leadership of Chief PNP Gen. Rommel Marbil for the swift clarification on the erroneous reports regarding Mr. Alvin Que.”
Fajardo said Alvin is cooperating with the Anti-Kidnapping Group and has submitted his cell phone to undergo forensic and scientific processing.
She said the PNP was not taking Liao’s testimony at face value and is also assessing his possible motives, such as misleading investigators to avoid criminal liability.
“At least, for that (claim), we can consider him as a liar or perjury. But for the others, the other parts of his statements where he admitted participation in the Anson Tan case and involvement of Kelly, Richardo and Reymart, (these) will not be affected,” she said.
“For all we know, he [Liao] is muddling the investigation so that his colleagues — who are possibly the mastermind behind this, not just this kidnapping case of Anson Que, but also other kidnapping cases — will not be exposed,” she added.
Liao surrendered to police on April 19 following the arrest of his Filipino cohorts— Richardo Austria and Reymark Catequista — in Roxas, Palawan.
Anson Que and his driver Armanie Pabillo were last seen in Valenzuela City on March 29 after leaving the former’s office in Valenzuela City.
Their bodies were found by a roadside in Rodriguez, Rizal on April 9.
