MANILA, Philippines — A Quezon City court has sentenced seven people to reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole for the kidnapping-for-ransom of a 78-year-old woman in September 2025, bringing a major case that unfolded across Metro Manila and Batangas to a dramatic legal conclusion.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 225 found the seven accused guilty as principals in the kidnapping case. Each was also ordered to pay the victim civil indemnity, moral damages and exemplary damages, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Four other accused were acquitted after the court ruled that prosecutors failed to establish their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The kidnapping began in Quezon City
The victim, identified in other reports as 78-year-old businesswoman Cecilia Ong Uyencio, was forcibly abducted on September 2, 2025, in Quezon City.
Authorities said the kidnappers transported her to locations in Bacoor City, Cavite, and Laurel, Batangas, where she was held while the group negotiated with her family for ransom.
The latest DOJ account reported by GMA News said the kidnappers initially demanded ₱500 million.
After negotiations, the amount was reduced to ₱8.1 million.
But even after the ransom was delivered on September 7, the elderly woman was not immediately released.
She remained in captivity until September 11, when police finally rescued her.
The rescue operation
Earlier reports from ABS-CBN and Manila Bulletin described the case as a major test for investigators because of the organized nature of the abduction and the victim’s age.
Police eventually tracked the kidnapping group and launched an operation that led to the woman’s rescue and the arrest of suspects.
Manila Bulletin reported that the turning point came when the kidnappers brought the victim to a bank in Quezon City in connection with the ransom operation. Three suspects were arrested during the rescue, while additional arrests followed in subsequent operations.
Daily Tribune reported that three former military personnel were among those convicted, while four other accused who reportedly served as aides or caretakers were acquitted for lack of sufficient evidence.
Seven convicted, four acquitted
The court’s decision means seven accused now face reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole.
Under Philippine law, reclusion perpetua carries a duration of 20 years and one day to 40 years, and unlike ordinary imprisonment terms, a person sentenced to reclusion perpetua is not eligible for parole under the circumstances reported in this case.
The ruling also ordered the convicted individuals to provide financial compensation to the victim through civil indemnity and damages.
The DOJ said the conviction demonstrates its commitment to pursuing accountability in serious criminal cases.
The PNP likewise hailed the outcome. Police officials described the case as an important example of coordination between investigators and prosecutors, with Daily Tribune reporting that the convictions came roughly nine months after the kidnapping.
Why the case drew attention
The case stands out not only because of the victim’s age but also because of the size of the ransom demand, the movement of the victim between several locations, the eventual ₱8.1-million payment, and the fact that she remained captive for several days after the ransom was delivered.
It also demonstrates how investigators were able to build a case against multiple suspects while separating those whose involvement was proven from those whose guilt prosecutors could not establish beyond reasonable doubt.
For the seven convicted individuals, the court’s ruling closes the criminal trial with a severe sentence.
For the four acquitted defendants, however, the court found that the evidence presented did not meet the required standard for conviction.
The case is now another high-profile reminder that kidnapping-for-ransom remains among the most serious offenses pursued by Philippine law-enforcement authorities—and that even a carefully organized operation can unravel once investigators establish the trail.
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