THE mother of the seven-year-old boy who was kidnapped on Friday said she would file a case against her sister who is the suspect of the abduction of her son.
Jerlyn Mercedez, 26, nearly broke to tears as she related how her son and his 15 year-old babysitter were allegedly both kidnapped by her own sister.
"Bahala na kung unsa iyang ma-ingon sa ako basta mokaso gayud ko kay grabe pud ang iyang gibuhat sa akong anak na iya man untang pag-umangkon," Mercedez said.
A CCTV footage from the Sacred Heart Academy in Barangay Bugo had caught Michelle Mercedez and two other suspects stopping the two minors as they were on their way home Friday, February 12.
Police investigators later received information identifying the two other suspects as John Nasser Barao, 35, a resident of Madalum Lanao del Sur, and Deleon Gumagadong of Lanao del Norte. Barao and Gumagadong had both demanded ransom amounting to P2 million for both children’s release.
After seven days of negotiations, the police and suspects agreed to place the ransom money at P500,000 instead of the P2 million.
The suspects agreed to meet the combined police force of Marawi City, Cagayan de Oro City Police Office's (Cocpo) Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), Regional Police Office at Matampay in Marawi City where an encounter ensued after the kidnap victims were released.
Suspect Barao died on the spot while Gumagadong died Monday morning.
Michelle, along with the driver of the getaway vehicle identified as Monte Macaantal, 51, were arrested by police.
Jerlyn said suspect Barao was her sister's live-in partner, adding that the two are drug addicts.
Police Officer 3 Jeremy Rivera and Police Senior Inspector Ramsis Cartagena, who were wounded during the encounter with the
suspects, were awarded and commended by Cocpo on Monday.
Confiscated from the suspects were four mobile phones, a hand grenade, 1 .38 caliber revolver, and 1 caliber .45 pistol.
The boy’s babysitter said they were held inside a wooden house
and said the men were speaking in an unfamiliar dialect.
"Wala man mi pasakiti pero usahay gutom lang kay wala man daw kuno sila ipakaon namo kay wala nay bugas," she added.
The boy is currently at the Department of Social Welfare and Development to undergo psychosocial therapy.