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Friday, September 05, 2003
Police doubt abduction of 5 people in Surigao
POLICE authorities in the Caraga region doubted the veracity of the report about the kidnapping of five people in Surigao City while on their way to Davao City last August 26.
In a radio interview over Radyo ng Bayan last Thursday, Police Regional Office (PRO) 13 Director Alberto Olario said they are still verifying the claim made by one Josephine Valenzuela that unidentified armed men kidnapped her along with five others.
Olario said they considered Valenzuela's kidnapping claims as "unverified" since no reports of missing persons nor demands for ransom were received by their office.
He said his men conducted a follow up investigation at the Habongga Mountains in Surigao del Norte where the perpetrators allegedly brought Valenzuela and five other captives, but the probe yielded negative results.
"Walang nakitang van yung mga residente doon kung saan isinakay daw yung mga biktima ayon na rin kay Valenzuela. Wala pa din kaming natatanggap na demand from alleged kidnappers of ransom or tawag mula sa mga relatives ng mga biktima," Olario said. (The residents there didn't see any van, which Valenzuela said took them. We haven't even received any demands from kidnappers nor any calls from relatives of the victim.)
It was learned that Valenzuela reported the alleged kidnapping to police authorities last August 29. Valenzuela added that she came from Manila and was on her way to Davao City aboard a bus parked at Lipata wharf in Surigao City, when she and five others (three women and two men) were enticed by unidentified men to board their van bound for Davao City.
Valenzuela said the suspects brought them to the mountain where she was released three days later after the suspects took pity on her because she is pregnant.
It was learned that Valenzuela could not identify the names of the other alleged kidnap victims as she only met them inside the bus and at the ferryboat.
Olario assured that the police are still conducting an investigation on the matter and advised Dabawenyos with missing relatives to call the Caraga police to determine if they are among those allegedly kidnapped. BOT
(September 5, 2003 issue)
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