Zhou Mei, the Chinese woman kidnapped by four of her compatriots in Makati City on Dec. 9, returned home on Dec. 15.
Her live-in partner, Chen Tanbing, told Makati police in a text message of her return and that Zhou, 28, will not press charges against her abductors.
Police will complete documentation based on evidence found and proceed with charges against the four Chinese nationals believed to be behind the kidnapping, said Makati police chief Col. Rogelio Simon.
The suspects – Guo Wanshun, Song Xifei, Guo Ebin and Zhang Xipeng – worked in the country as Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) service provider employees.
Zhou and Chen were likewise Pogo employees, but it is unclear if they work for the same employer. However, it appears Zhou knew her kidnappers based on an identification card and deeds of sale recovered at the crime scene.
Guo Wanshun was confirmed to have left the country on Dec. 12.
The police confirmed their identities after another Chinese, Xue Yongming, told police he used to own the vehicle used in the kidnapping. He said he had sold it to Guo, and the suspects were also renting his condominium unit in Pasay City.
At the Pasay apartment, police found several ID cards and passports belonging to the suspects, as well as handcuffs.
Police speculate the kidnapping might be related to Zhou’s work. An area manager for her firm, she could have taken sensitive data from her employer who wanted it back.
Zhou’s abduction on a street near her condominium residence was caught on video and went viral.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Arrested: Chinese nationals Zhong Shuocheng, Wang Sulong, Du Along, Zhu Linfeng, Zou Jun and Yang Bokuan, for the alleged abduction of three Chinese women in Bacoor City, Cavite on Dec. 13. The victims, who were kidnapped separately between Dec. 10 and 12, were rescued during the raid. The victims’ families had gone to the police when the suspects refused to release them even after their kin had paid partially the ransoms of P700,000-P1.4 million.
Rescued: Taiwanese national Liu Chin Wei, from two Chinese men, in Pasay City, on Dec. 19. According to police, Liu borrowed over P200,000 from Ning Liu and Zhu Yizhi but lost all of it at a casino. The two men kept Liu in a hotel room in Manila on Dec. 18. The victim called up a Taiwanese friend to borrow more money in order to pay the suspects. His friend, however, contacted the authorities for help.
