MANILA – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Marbil on Sunday declared the Anson Tan kidnap-slay case “solved” following the arrest of three suspects in connection with the abduction and murder of the Chinese-Filipino businessman and his driver, Armanie Pabillo.

Marbil said the alleged mastermind has been identified and is expected to be formally charged within the week. He did not disclose further details about those involved in the operation.

Tan is the businessman’s legal surname, although he is also known as Anson Que— the name previously used by police in their initial statements on the case.

Tan and Pabillo were last seen on March 29. Nearly two weeks later, their bodies—bearing bruises and signs of injury and strangulation—were discovered in Rodriguez, Rizal province on April 9.

The PNP on Saturday confirmed that three suspects are now in custody: David Tan Liao, Richardo Austria David—also known as Richard Tan Garcia—and Raymart Catequista.

David and Catequista were apprehended on Friday in Roxas, Palawan, while Liao voluntarily surrendered to authorities on Saturday afternoon.

David was identified as Liao’s driver, while Catequista is his brother-in-law.

“This was not a random act of kidnap-for-ransom, but a calculated kidnap-for-hire operation,” Marbil said.

According to the PNP, Liao—a Chinese national also known by the aliases Xiao Chang Jiang, Yang Jianmin, and Michael Agad Yung—had been used by criminal syndicates to abduct Chinese nationals with outstanding debts linked to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

The PNP said Liao “recruited and paid local henchmen to carry out abductions and executions,” adding, “These were not random acts but deliberate, contract-based crimes targeting individuals embroiled in disputes over unpaid debts, betrayals or internal conflicts.”

Authorities also linked Liao to five other kidnapping incidents: one in November 2022 in Muntinlupa; another on February 3, 2024, near Solaire Resort and Casino; a case in August 2024 in Pasay; one in December 2024 in Muntinlupa; and the most recent in February 2025 in Parañaque.

📷 PNP