THE Philippine National Police (PNP) announced on Tuesday, April 10, the rescue of a Japanese national who was kidnapped allegedly on the orders of his fellow countryman.
PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) director Senior Superintendent Glenn Dumlao said Yuji Nakajima, 32, a resident of Higashimukojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan, was kidnapped on March 22, or on the same day that he arrived in the country together with his friend and business partner Yusuke Obara.
Nakajima and a certain Verhel Lumague were rescued by the police on April 5 in Plaridel, Bulacan, after Superintendent Takayashi Nakayama and three other representatives from the Embassy of Japan sought help from the AKG.
After the investigation and debriefing, a follow-up operation was conducted that resulted in the arrest of three suspects in Santolan, Pasig City and Paranaque City.
They were identified as Roberto Reyes, Reggie Reyes, and Japanese national Miyashita Takashi, who was found to have a cancelled passport.
“Ito (Nakajima) ay pumasok sa Pilipinas noong March 22 may kasama s’ya ‘yung si Yusuke Obara. Now investigation conducted ay na-find out natin na parang sinubo nung kaibigan nya parang business partners sila and allegedly nagkaroon sila ng rift sa business. Nung nasa hotel itong biktima itong Reyes brothers kumatok sa hotel n’ya at pinababa s’ya at kakausapin daw sya ni Takashi ‘yung Japanese suspect natin,” Dumlao said.
(Nakajima arrived in the country together with Yusuke Obara on March 22. Investigation showed that the Reyes brothers went to Nakajima's hotel room and told him that Takashi wanted to speak with him.)
“Ang sabi nito hindi n’ya kilala. Tinawagan n’ya si Yusuke Obara ‘yung kasama n’ya na bumalik na ng Japan noong March 24. nung tinawagan n’ya sabi sige sumama ka lang sa kanila so nung bumababa inimbitahan s’ya pumunta Bulacan and then there hinold na s’ya sa Bulacan and through sa tawag nila sa pamilya at Japanese embassy doon na nagkaroon kami ng vital information,” he added.
(Nakajima said he did not know Takashi, but he called Obara, who had gone back to Japan on March 24. Obara told Nakajima to just go with the Reyes brothers to Bulacan, where he was held.)
Dumlao said Lumague, a cousin of the Reyes brothers, also cooperated with the police for the rescue of the Japanese national.
“’Yung Verhel Lumague tinawagan lang ni Roberto at Reggie kasi pinsan nila ‘yun tapos tinawagan na may bisita kami na VIP na Hapon pwede mo muna accommodate sa bahay mo pero may bantay na pinadala. Dahil they sensed na there is something wrong so nag-cooperate din sa amin ‘yun,” he said.
Dumlao said the Japanese police are already conducting pursue operations against Obara. (SunStar Philippines)