Two kidnapped Chinese nationals were rescued in separate operations, the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) reported.
The PNP-AKG said Kang Xintong’s mother received a call from the kidnappers using her son’s WeChat account.
The mother, who is in China, said the kidnappers first demanded RMB50,000 (P382,500) and another RMB20,000 (P153,000) after informing her that her son was in their custody.
The said amounts were deposited to the kidnappers’ account but the victim was not released.
The abductors then asked for an additional P1.4 million, which prompted the victim’s mother to report the case to the PNP-AKG.
AKG operatives were dispatched to rescue the victim at the Katarungan Village in Muntinlupa City.
Later, Raymond Tan, the interpreter of the complainant, informed the PNP-AKG that Kang Xintong managed to escape from his kidnappers.
A follow-up operation led to the discovery of the suspects’ abandoned safe house on Jaranilla St., Barangay Poblacion, Muntinlupa City, where the victim was reportedly illegally detained for 11 days, the police said.
Authorities said the victim identified the person who rented the safe house as Pan Sijia, while the latter’s two companions were identified through the closed-circuit television camera.
Meanwhile, another kidnapped Chinese national, Zaiping Yang, was also rescued at the Hilton Hotel in Pasay City.
According to the police, Yang was playing at the Resorts World Casino when five other Chinese nationals approached him and lent him P200,000 worth of casino chips, but Yang lost.
This prompted the group to bring Yang to a room and ask him to call his relatives in China to demand RMB30,000 (P229,500) for his release.
Yang was then escorted to the hotel lobby by one of his captors so he could call his girlfriend and other Chinese friends for help.
The hotel security contacted the PNP-AKG, which resulted in the victim’s rescue and the arrest of the five Chinese suspects namely: Zhou You Liung, Chang Chang Chun, Yu Jiang Yang, Ao Peng Liang, and Yang Yu Qi.
Authorities said they are now preparing appropriate criminal charges against the arrested suspects for Kidnapping for Ransom with Serious Illegal Detention (Art 267).
Zamboanga Norte mayor’s son freed
A son of Mayor Eddie Quimbo of Labason, Zamboanga del Norte, kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf bandits in September 2017, was reunited with his family on Dec. 30.
The military said businessman Jelster Ed Tiu Quimbo, 28, was released by his captors in Barangay Anuling, Patikul, Sulu.
Quimbo claimed no ransom was paid in exchange for Jeltser’s release but admitted giving an unspecified amount of money for “expenses.”
Jelster said he experienced at least 10 encounters between his captors and the military during his captivity.
He also told the military that during his captivity, he saw other kidnap victims – Dutch birdwatcher Ewold Horn, a Vietnamese and three Filipinos, whom he did not identify.
Horn is the longest held captive of the Abu Sayyaf. He was kidnapped along with fellow bird watcher Swiss Lorenzo Vinciguerra on Feb. 1, 2012 in Panglima Sugala, Tawi-Tawi.
Vinciguerra was rescued on Dec. 6, 2014 after he fought his guards and escaped during a military operation also in Patikul.
