COPS have yet to establish leads and identify the persons behind the abduction of six people in Batangas on Friday, October 29, a police official said Thursday, November 4, 2021.
In a television interview, Laurel, Batangas Police Chief Captain Errol Frejas said the incident was caught on a closed circuit television (CCTV) but it was still hard for them to identify the kidnappers, who were wearing face masks and the incident happened at night.
He said they were able to identify the license plate number of the vehicles used by the kidnappers but they were all fake.
“Na-verify nga natin kasi meron tayong nakuhang plate numbers dito sa sasakyan na ginamit ng mga alleged suspects. Lumalabas na fake ’yung mga plate number na ginamit nila,” said Frejas.
(We have verified the plate numbers used by the kidnappers, but they were fake.)
“Kasi ’yung isa dito, ‘yung plate number na binigay ay naka-register sa isang Nissan Navara at wala naman po tayong nakikitang Nissan Navara sa mga vehicles ng suspect. At ‘yung isa naman po ay sa Innova na naka-register sa may-ari ay nasa Talisay, Cebu,” he added.
(One of the plate numbers given was registered to a Nissan Navara, but the kidnappers were not using a Nissan Navara vehicle. Another plate number was that of an Innova registered to a person in Talisay, Cebu.)
Frejas said they are looking at two possible motives in the abduction: the alleged involvement of one of the victims in illegal drugs and the quarrel between one of the victims and his Chinese partner hours before the incident happened.
He said one of the victims was arrested in November 2020 over drug charges.
He added that they are also yet to get material statements from the victims’ families that could help the investigation.
“Sa ngayon, wala pa rin paramdam sabi nila, pero tuloy-tuloy naman po ‘yung ano, ‘yung nagtatanong-tanong na rin sila, kasi itong mga kamag-anak nila ay hindi, wala silang trabaho, at hindi rin nila alam kung ano yung totoong activities nitong mga kanilang kamag-anak,” Frejas said.
(We have been conducting investigation, but the families of the victims have also no work and no idea about the victims’ activities.)
“Ang alam lang nila, ‘yung iba dito online seller and ‘yung iba naman ay jobless talaga,” he added.
(What they know about is that some of the victims are online sellers, while the others are jobless.)
Shane Despe, Mark Nelvin Caraan, Eugene Noora, Mar Christian Ore, Carlo Fazon and Paulino Sebastian were forcibly taken by the kidnappers while on board a sports utility vehicle plying along Tagaytay-Nasugbu Road Friday dawn, October 29.
The group was on their way home from an outing in Lian, Batangas. Two of them were able to escape the scene.
The vehicle used by the victims was found in a forested area in Barangay Bunggo in Calamba City, Laguna.
Frejas said they are awaiting the result of the forensic examination conducted by the Scene of the Crime Operatives. (SunStar Philippines)