Kidnappers of businesswoman in Cotabato City demand P15M ransom

COTABATO CITY – The kidnappers of a Filipino-Chinese businesswoman snatched on April 1 here have asked for a P15 million ransom, authorities said.

Senior Superintendent Danny Reyes, city police director, citing information from the local Chinese traders’ community and from intelligence sources of the police and the military, said the suspects were now negotiating with the victim’s husband, demanding the amount for his wife’s immediate release.

Jinky Yap, 35, said to be three-months pregnant, was snatched by four gunmen in front of her mini-grocery store along Sinsuat Avenue at about 7 p.m.

She was dragged into a waiting van when she resisted, witnesses said.

“We continue our efforts to locate the victim,” Reyes said while admitting that they have difficulty getting cooperation from the family.

“It’s understandable, their concern is the safety of Jinky,” Reyes said.

Yap was kidnapped about two months ago after gunmen snatched Adin Yu, owner of the Yu Kian Gian Hardware, Inc., while he was about to board his car parked in front of a Casino here.

For several weeks now, talk has been circulating that Yu, whose family also owns restaurants and a bakery, could have died from injuries he sustained when he was snatched.

His captors have ceased from negotiating ransom with his wife, Cathy, since late February.

Since August last year, four Filipino-Chinese traders have been kidnapped.

Aside from Yap and Yu, kidnappers also separately seized Nelson Tay and Conchita Tan, both hardware store owners in the city.

Tay and Tan were released after relatives paid huge amounts of ransom money.