A CHINESE businesswoman was rescued from the kidnap for ransom group in Panglao town, Bohol at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, October 24, 2023.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO 7), said the 53-year-old victim was kidnapped last Monday morning, October 23, 2023.
The Provincial Intelligence Unit of the Bohol Police Provincial Office also arrested the kidnapping suspects, composed of four Chinese nationals and two Filipinos, who were identified through their driver’s licenses and IDs as Hong Tianfu, temporarily residing in Roxas Boulevard, Ermita Manila, Deng Ru You, 34, from Shicuang Nan Chong, Wang Lie, 33, from Jianshu Wuxi, Long Qingqing, 34, from Quizhou Biyie, Roberson Jeremy Atienza, 25, from V. Mapa Street, Old Sta. Mesa Manila and Jonel Dave Olayres, 23, from Pasay City.
The police also recovered the group’s firearms, five cellular phones, a handheld radio, driver’s licenses, cash and other items.
According to Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office (PRO 7), the police immediately conducted the operation after receiving report regarding the kidnapping incident on Monday morning.
The authorities were able to locate the suspects because the victim's family had sent ransom money to them.
"According to the initial report from the Bohol Police Provincial Office, naka-release gyud ang family sa victim og ransom thru bank transfer because gidala man nila in a specific area gitawgan ang family nakahatag gyud. Kining tanan gi-consider sa pag file og kaso (the victim’s family was able to release ransom thru bank transfer because they brought the victim to a specific area where they called her family. These are all being considered for the filing of a case)," Pelare said.
The suspects allegedly came all the way from Manila and only traveled to Bohol to kidnap the victim.
An investigation is currently ongoing to identify the mastermind of the crime.
The woman, who Pelare described as still in trauma, has been debriefed by the police, who are in touch with her Chinese relatives. (With TPT)