Acting director of NCRPO Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas. INQUIRER.net / Noy Morcoso
MANILA, Philippines — The abductors of the Chinese woman in a business district in Makati City on Monday night could also be Chinese nationals who were after to collect her supposed debt, according to police.
“May mga documents na nakuha. He believes that Chinese ‘yung mga involved. Hindi muna namin ibigay ‘yung pangalan kasi ongoing ‘yung ating investigation,” Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, acting director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said in a press briefing Tuesday, quoting information from Makati City police chief Col. Rogelio Simon.
(We obtained documents. He [Simon] believes that those involved are also Chinese. We will not give their names because the investigation is ongoing.)
He was referring to a vehicle’s deed of sale and photocopies of Chinese passports found in the crime scene where the victim tried to force her way out of a gray Kia Carnival van while shrieking for help.
Sinas said the abductors could be after the woman’s supposed debt from them, as in previous cases of kidnapping in the country involving Chinese nationals, to force victims to pay their debts.
He said officers of the Makati City police have reviewed footages of closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) near Paseo de Roxas corner Nieva Street in Legazpi Village where the alleged abduction took place.
“Accordingly, the car did not speed away. It just roamed around in Paseo De Roxas so it means it was not really kidnapping for ransom per se because after the lady boarded the car, they just roamed around the area and they were tracked by different CCTVs,” said Sinas.
Simon also earlier said that the victim seemed to know her abductors because she went near the van before she was dragged by three men inside.
In its initial report, the Makati City police also described the abductors as “Chinese looking.”
According to Sinas, the incident may not be kidnapping as earlier reported by the police, but a case of abduction since it does not involve asking for ransom.
“That is the motive, may utang. Hindi naman ransom ‘yung utang. It’s the motive. Sa kidnapping kasi ang motive is ransom, (That is the motive, there is an outstanding debt. Paying debt is not a ransom. It’s only the motive. In kidnapping, the motive is to get ransom),” he explained.
He also assured that streets in Metro Manila remain safe, and that the alleged abduction is an isolated incident.