A 4-year old Kidnapped Boy Rescued
Category: News Published on Friday, 16 December 2011 14:02 Written by Pinoy News Staff Writer Hits: 457
MANILA,Philippines--- This story is so fitting for holiday season. A 4-year old American boy was rescued from the kidnappers’ hideout after eight days of being captive. Philippine police located the hideout and stormed it. Five Suspects were arrested.
Isagani Nerez, head of the police anti-crime unit said the minor was travelling in Manila with his Filipina mother when the three kidnappers intercepted the vehicle they were in. It did not mention where the American father is. Kidnappers demanded ransom of $13,600 which was met three days later. But then the kidnappers became greedy and raise the demand to $113,000 before they will release the boy. This time the father asked help from the US Embassy and FBI which in turn coordinated with local authorities. They traced the kidnappers’ hideout location in Prieto Diaz town in eastern Sorsogon province.
Fearing that the child will be hurt, police raided the place on Wednesday, and rescued the unharmed boy. They were able to capture three kidnappers on site and two more suspects on Thursday.
"We were worried that the kidnappers would kill the boy if their demand was not met," Nerez said. "It was the reason why we decided to launch the assault on the kidnappers' lair."
The police operation was commended by US Embassy spokeswoman Betina Malone. "It was the result of a great deal of hard work," she said. U.S. authorities expected those responsible to be prosecuted and punished, she added.
Charged with kidnapping for ransom, the five suspects are now in police custody waiting for trial. They face up to 40 years in prison if convicted. "They are new faces," Nerez said, and not link to previous kidnappings.
Nerez said they could be linked to the communist rebel New People's Army, which has a strong presence in Sorsogon province. The last kidnapping of a 14-year old American boy, which was believed to be the work of a group with link to Al-Qaeda, happened on a small island near Zamboanga, southern Philippines. It’s a dangerous place for foreigners to go to and even included in the US travel warning. Foreigners are strongly cautioned to take this warning seriously.