Tuesday, March 11, 2008 Police downplay hunt for 'kidnap vans'
BAGUIO police denied issuing any advisory against a supposed white van whose occupants kidnap children for their internal organs.
In a text message received by police Sunday, it was stated that the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) sent out a message that declared the van was already in Baguio.
The supposed BCPO message went: "4ward po e2 ng Baguio City Police Office: positive and2 baguio mga nagki2dnap kids. Take note of d ff plate #'s VMM 507, OPD 434, VXE 351. Pls send 2 all ur family and frends."
"We never sent out such a text message," Police Officer (PO) 3 Viyo Hidalgo said. "We followed up every leads last Friday and there was no proof the vehicles exist," he added.
Although all available police personnel in Baguio conducted a citywide search, they failed to spot a white van allegedly abducting children here last Friday, "it is possible the vehicle exists."
This was disclosed by Baguio City Police Inspector Rene Pasiwen who said this was confirmed by a number of local residents, especially four intended abduction victims aged five to seven years old, "who are too young to lie."
"We first received a report about a white Mitsubishi L-300 van bearing license plate number VMM-507 from four children in Loakan-Liwanag, who claimed to have been almost taken by its occupants. However, when we responded to the area, it was nowhere to be found," Pasiwen said.
The BCPO received the second call, which reported the same vehicle was seen near Don Bosco School in Trancoville, but a responding team also failed to find it upon arrival there.
A third caller also reportedly saw the same van near the Rizal Elementary School in Pacdal, but another response to the area proved futile.
This also resulted in a negative find, after a fourth caller said the vehicle was seen going towards La Trinidad, Benguet.
"We went to various schools afterwards to warn pupils and students there to be wary of the white van. Although none of our mobile patrol teams and motorcycle policemen actually saw this white van, callers confirmed its presence in those places. It is possible the vehicle really exists," Pasiwen revealed.
"Those children were crying when we responded (to Loakan-Liwanag) and it was obvious they were traumatized," he pointed out.
Pasiwen said while the citywide search for the van has been conducted, policemen were posted in various elementary and high schools and even day care centers, while all possible exit points from the city were checked.
For those who have not received the controversial text message yet, it stated: "Plate no. VMM 507, van na white, yun po yung mga nangunguha ng internal organ ng mga bata. Paki-forward sa mga iba. Text from vice mayor ng Taysan, Batangas. I-forward yan sa iba, di po yan biro. Sacrifice please. Baka makatulong kayo sa mga bata na nawawala at mga kabataan. Text by sir Malaya caution tayo nasa Baguio daw sila. TY."
However, according to Baguio City Police Chief Moises Guevarra, the controversial text message is not true. He called Chief Superintendent Ricardo Padilla, director of Police Regional Office 4-A, to verify about this last Friday morning. "He confirmed this warning did not come from the vice mayor of Taysan, Batangas," he said.
This was also confirmed by Chief Inspector David Mariano, BCPO Operations Branch chief, when he said the Philippine National Police (PNP) has not received any report yet of anybody losing any internal organ, even in the province of Batangas. (ENO/SB)
