Probe on shipping exec’s abduction sought

DAVAO CITY -- Business leaders in this city are demanding for a probe on a recent kidnapping incident involving a shipping executive, saying it has been sending shivers to the business sector.

Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Incorporated (DCCCII) President Robert Quinto said the business group is left in the dark with the recent events.

The Davao Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce has also expressed the same concern.

"We conducted a dialogue last Friday but only Task Force Davao showed up. The DCPO (Davao City Police Office) and the Philippine National Police were no-shows," Quinto said in an interview at SM City Davao Monday.

According to a report, the DCPO and PNP officials failed to attend the dialogue due to a prior engagement out of town.

But Quinto said the policemen must shed light on the recent kidnapping of Gerry Gimenez, the manager of Solid Shipping Lines in this city.

"We were told that no study, report, or investigation was made," he said.

Gimenez was reportedly kidnapped last February 10 from his residence in a posh village in this city despite the area’s high walls and armed guards. He was released after paying P20 million ransom and immediately fled to Canada along with his family.

"This is bad for Davao City, not only for the business sector but as a whole," Quinto said. "We want to know what happened, to be enlightened. Were there any lapses? Will it happen again?"

The DCCCII president, however, maintained that the incident was an isolated one and could happen anywhere.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Davao Region said despite another recent violence -- the mall shootout involving Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu’s security escorts and an alleged supporter of the Ampatuans accused in Maguindanao massacre, tourism in the city remains dynamic.

Garcia said that contrary to assumptions, the city now has four percent more tourists compared to last year's data of regional travelers.

"It has shown no effect to the number of tourists the city received this month. In fact, we are still above the number of tourists we received last year on the same period," Garcia said during Kapihan sa SM media forum.

"We're currently short of hotel rooms. This even shows we need more investment on hotels in the city," he added.

As to the incident, Garcia said they do not see it recurring.

"Admittedly it was an incident that does not happen every day but we perceive it as an isolated incident. It was collateral to an incident that did not happen in the city," Garcia said.

He added that the incident, which killed the Ampatuans’ alleged supporter inside JS Gaisano South Mall last February 11, will not block the DOT from “promoting the city as a tourist destination."

Garcia was at the forum Monday to promote the one-man show of resident artist Reynaldo Aranda, whose works will be exhibited from March 6 to 28 at the Royal Mandaya Hotel. (CPM/JCZ/Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)

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