Abduction of pastor's wife: Police suspect kidnap 'staged'

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Police Office is now suspecting that the story on the abduction of the wife of a religious leader last Monday night might have just been staged.

The police though are still verifying the information that they have gathered. 

Sr. Insp. George Ylanan, chief of Intelligence Division and Management Branch, said that there are indications that the alleged abduction of Judith Jastiva in barangay Labangon was just staged.

This came after Allan Alingalan, president of the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement, the rival group of the organization headed by Leonardo Jastiva, Judith’s husband, went to the IDMB.

Alingalan told police that the mother organization would allow the leaders to move to New Zealand for good if there is a threat to their lives.

Leonardo is the national president of International Missionary Society of Seventh Day Adventist Church Reform Movement. He alleged that that his wife was abducted by three men on board a blue Mitsubishi Lancer.

The alleged abduction took place around 8:30 p.m. Monday while they were on board a motorcycle on their way home to San Isidro, Talisay City.

Alingalan, who was invited yesterday to IDMB, told reporters that Jastiva has no basis to say that he is envious of them because his members transferred to Jastiva’s group.

He said that it is the other way around.

In fact, Alingalan alleged, Jastiva’s group is only a minority.

Being the Visayan Field Conference President, Alilangan has around 250 members in the whole region and about 1,800 nationwide. They also have an estimated 50 members in Cebu just like Jastiva’s group.

Alingalan said they are not forcing or influencing the members as to what group they want to join.

As reported earlier, Leonardo said that he has about 1,500 members nationwide.

Alingalan, on the other hand, was assigned in Cebu since last 2007. He said that he would not deny that some of his members sent text messages to Jastiva accusing the latter for being a ‘liar,’ but there were no threats to his life.

“Wala siya’y ikapakita na evidence,” Alingalan said.

   He however said that his group will help Jastiva look for his wife.

No Witnesses

Ylanan said they have conducted an ocular inspection thrice at the place where the incident was reported to have happened.

A security guard of an establishment along the road alleged to the police that when he peeped through the gate, he only saw Jastiva already tied to his motorcycle with a chain.

Some witnesses also alleged that they did not see a Mitsubishi Lancer that overtook Jastiva’s motorcycle.

They also claimed that they did not hear the skidding of brakes as Jastiva alleged that the car blocked their path.

Ylanan said that they also found out that traffic in P. Abella St., where the alleged abduction took place, was heavy last Monday night.

Jastiva also did not sign his statement under oath, which Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, director of the Cebu City Police Office, wanted him to do.

Ylanan said that he warned Jastiva that this affidavit can be used against him if it was found that he lied.

The religious leader said that he would first seek legal advice before signing anything.

He also did not return to Ylanan’s office yesterday as promised.

“Dili pa daw siya (Jastiva) ready,” Ylanan said.

Ylanan said that if Jastiva is found guilty for just playing up the whole incident, a charge for perjury will be filed against him.

The FREEMAN also tried calling Jastiva through his cellular phone, but he refused to take the calls.

Jastiva claimed that he and his wife were followed by a blue Mitsubishi Lancer from a mall in barangay Apas.

He said that when his motorcycle conked out in Labangon, this gave the men a chance. He alleged that two men, who did not even bother to cover their faces and both armed with revolvers, approached him and his wife and asked her to go with them.

Before leaving, the men allegedly tied Jastiva to the handle bar of his motorcycle using a chain and a padlock.

As of presstime, there has been no demand for ransom or communication from the abductors. — /NLQ   (THE FREEMAN)