A man was arrested Sunday night after allegedly attacking and trying to kidnap the father of actress-singer Sarah Geronimo inside the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City, according to a report in GMA News Tuesday. Paulino Mercado, 43, was arrested after he tried to immobilize Delfin Geronimo with a stun gun and shove him inside his van, the report said. “I pushed him and ran. I had to save myself. The stun gun could've paralyzed me,” Delfin said. Delfin said prior to the attack, the suspect invited him to his van on the premise that he had some gifts for Sarah from a shampoo company. He said he grew suspicious when he was brought to ABS-CBN's basement parking lot. Mercado, who denied trying to kidnap Delfin, was arrested after the building's security personnel, noticing the commotion, rushed to the scene. “I will not admit it because I wasn't really trying to kidnap him,” Mercado said in a separate report. Police investigators said Mercado had planned well for the attack and may have some accomplices. Recovered from the suspect were a blue Hyundai van with a back-up plate number, old clothes wrapped like gifts intended for celebrities, the box of the 2,000-volt stun gun, and some nylon cords. The supposed gifts had tags bearing celebrities' names such as Jaya, Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Aljur Abrenica and Pauline Luna. The television report said Mercado underwent inquest for the attempted kidnapping Monday. Police authorities said the evidence against the suspect is strong. As kidnapping is a heinous crime, Mercado was not allowed to post bail. The van, now in possession of the QCPD, was registered to another Mercado, who could be the suspect's relative. Preliminary investigation showed that the suspect studied the victim's movements first before attempting to kidnap him, police said. “He knows how to go around the building, he prepared for it. He also knew the movements of the victim),” a police officer said.
