AUTHORITIES reminded the public anew to report to the police any alleged abduction for verification before posting online to prevent fear and panic.
A story of an alleged attempted kidnapping circulated online. The story was posted on Thursday night, December 19, by a certain Rodjean Abbot. As of writing Friday, the post has garnered more than 6,000 shares and around 3,000 reactions.
In her post, she shared that her daughter almost got kidnapped in one of the big malls here in Davao City around 7:30 p.m. on December 19.
“A guy in his 20’s or 30’s wearing a black mask grabbed my daughter’s hand forcefully asking her if she needed a ride. He pointed out his black Vios car and asked her if she’s sure she doesn’t want to ride with him. My daughter just replied that she booked a ride already, she managed to get loose from his grip and hurriedly ran back inside the mall,” her post read.
She added, “To all parents please be always vigilant. I am extremely grateful to God for giving my daughter the presence of mind and alertness she needed in that situation.”
Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Police Colonel Kirby John Kraft said their office did not receive any report but they have already coordinated with the mall’s security to shed light on the incident.
They are also reaching out to the one who posted the incident for proper coordination on the investigation.
Kraft said they cannot prohibit anyone from posting on social media but they suggest to report similar incidents to authorities for proper intervention.
“I recommend that they should first report to the police incident like this so we could do our job and avoid panic to the public,” he said.