DAVAO CITY (Updated) -- Mayor Rodrigo Duterte gave the local police a shoot-to-kill order against all armed criminals who enter the metropolis.
Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Director Ronald dela Rosa said this was the order of Duterte before they launched the daring assault that killed three kidnappers on Thursday.
The same order goes to the suspects’ fleeing cohorts.
"Shoot-to-kill akong standing order sa tanang criminals nga musulod did sa syudad sa Davao (Shoot-to-kill is my standing order against all criminals who enter Davao City," Dela Rosa quoted Duterte as telling him.
The police chief said that after he was informed last Wednesday by the Anti-Kidnapping Group in Camp Crame that a kidnap-for-ransom group is heading to Davao together with its victim, he immediately informed the mayor.
He said after relaying the message to Duterte, he regularly gives him updates on the situation until the assault Thursday.
The police operation also led to the rescue of the kidnap victim Sally Chua, a 51-year-old Filipino-Chinese businesswoman from Quezon City.
Chua was kidnapped inside her office last July 5, but convinced her abductors into making the payoff in Davao City.
Manhunt
Dela Rosa said they have launched a manhunt for 10 members of a kidnap-for-ransom group who escaped following the shootout between Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team and the three kidnappers.
He admitted though that there is a possibility the kidnappers have left the metropolis already.
Police cars full of personnel from the DCPO roamed the city's major thoroughfares and its outskirts Thursday night to hunt down the kidnappers on board two white Mitsubishi Montero SUVs.
Several road blocks were also established while security was also tightened at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport as authorities hinted the organized crime group members may use this as a possible escape route.
Until Friday noon, police search proved negative.
Dela Rosa said the kidnappers could have also hid their vehicles and decided to break up to avoid police detection.
He called on the public to be vigilant and to report to authorities if they spot a white Montero car with suspicious-looking persons onboard.
"Nanawagan mi sa publiko nga basi naa mo'y makit-an nga duha ha white Montero diha (We are calling on the public if you happen to see two white Montero cars there)," Dela Rosa said.
Payoff
On board three brand new Mitsubishi Montero SUVs, the victim and her kidnappers left Manila on the same day she was abducted and proceeded to Davao City by land.
While on their way to Davao City, the suspects initially demanded P100 million, but reduced this to P50 million -- until they finally settled at P15 million, which can be withdrawn at Allied Bank-CM Recto branch, dela Rosa said.
When they arrived in Davao City around 11 a.m. Thursday, the kidnappers shopped for "pasalubongs" -- a box of pomelo and mangosteen and another box of durian yema -- Chua was supposed to bring on her flight back to Manila.
The kidnappers booked the victim a flight to Manila Thursday afternoon; and also bought Chua a new dress to make her appear presentable at the bank and not looking like a kidnap victim, dela Rosa said.
The suspects, however, were cornered at the parking space of the said bank. A shootout ensued between the kidnappers and responding Swat teams and officers of the Philippine Anti-Carnapping and Emergency Response (Pacer) Team from Manila and DCPO.
Three of the suspects were killed while one was arrested by the police.
Dela Rosa identified the slain kidnappers as Daryl Mortejo, Edilberto Aparri, and alias Yoyong. He said it was the arrested suspect Ramil Macamay Gudito, who is from Bukidnon.
The DCPO chief said Chua and Gudito took a 7:20 p.m. flight from Davao Thursday to Camp Crame.
Dela Rosa said the Montero vehicle used by the slain kidnappers was registered to one Eden Silanga of San Mateo, Rizal.
Silanga could be a possible financier of the crime group and is now the subject of a police investigation, according to Dela Rosa.
The bullet-riddled Montero car is now at the DCPO compound in Camp Domingo Leonor for further examination.
Dela Rosa also said that of the seven firearms recovered from the kidnappers, only two have records with the Firearms and Explosives Division of the Philippine National Police. These are the M4 and .9 mm. caliber pistol.
Human Rights probe
DCPO, meanwhile, said on Friday they welcome any probe from Commission on Human Rights (CHR) should the agency conduct an investigation over the incident.
"We welcome any investigation, we can justify, wala ko mahadlok (I'm not afraid)," dela Rosa said in an interview over TV Patrol on Friday.
He added the operation was not an "overkill". What they did, he said, was to subdue the kidnappers who had high-powered firearms in their possession.
"Nakita man nimo unsa kadagahn ila armas, unsa ka high-powered ila armas, unsa mana overkill? (You can see how many firearms they had, all were high-powered, what's that overkill, then?)," dela Rosa added. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)