BARAS, Rizal. — The Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response yesterday said it has intensified the hunt on 25 kidnappers who have pending warrants of arrest before several courts.

Pacer chief Senior Supt. Leonardo Espina said anti-kidnapping operatives have stepped up their hunt on 25 more identified kidnappers after Onofre Surat Jr., one of the country’s most wanted kidnappers, was, arrested Sunday in Cainta.

"On instructions of PNP chief Jesus Verzosa, we have intensified our hunt against the remaining 25 kidnappers who have pending warrants of arrest before our courts," Espina said.

Those being hunted include Jose Ma. Panlilio, whose arrest is worth more than P4 million in reward money; Cesar de Guzman, P1 million; Harold Fajardo, P1 million; Roland Fajardo, P1 million; Corey Dickpus, P1 million; Fraser Salamon, P850,000 reward; Bingbong Kapina, P700,000; and Alexander Bocar, P700,000.

Espina said Surat, who carried a P500,000 bounty on his head, was involved in the May 2, 2001 kidnapping-with-homicide of Mark Harris Bacalla, 23, son of the late Judge Marciano Bacalla. The younger Bacalla was killed by his abductors a day after he was snatched and buried in Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija but his kidnappers still negotiated a P4 million ransom with his unknowing family.

Bacalla’s family paid the kidnappers P400,000 on May 8, 2001, and another P500,000 nine days after for his release. On May 21, Bacalla’s remains were recovered in Cuyapo, while Surat was arrested on June 3, 2001 but managed to escape about a month later while undergoing medical checkup at the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City.