Woman ‘held’ by Chinese national rescued

ANGELES CTIY -- A 20-year-old woman, allegedly detained illegally by a Chinese national inside an apartment in Barangay Balibago here, was rescued recently by authorities.

Balibago chairman Rodelio Mamac said the suspect, Christopher Tan, reportedly locked the victim inside an apartment for several months.

Mamac said he was informed that Tan would occasionally visit the woman to have intercourse with her.

“Paminsan-minsan dinalhan din daw nung Chinese yung biktima ng pagkain pero hindi yun regular (The Chinese sometimes feed the woman),” Mamac said.

Fortunately, the victim managed to communicate with her mother, who sought assistance from a purok chairman and broadcaster Gary Bernardo.

Bernardo relayed the information to Mamac, who immediately coordinated with the Philippine National Police and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Authorities coordinated an operation and successfully rescued the woman, but the suspect was not apprehended.

Mamac said the city police filed serious illegal detention, grave threat, and violation of Violence Against Women and Children law against the suspect.

The village chairman said Tan, at one instance, attempted to kill the victim by strangulation.

“Akala daw nung suspect napatay nya yung biktima kaya umalis ng bansa at nagtago sa Thailand (The suspect thought that he killed the woman, so he fled to Thailand),” Mamac said.

The suspect also threatened to kill the woman’s children if she reported about the incident to the local police.