Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina told The STAR he would make the kidnapping case of 29-year-old businesswoman Jacky Rowena Tiu the first case to be monitored under the "kidnap watch" that would be set up in a "war room" at the Philippine National Police headquarters at Camp Crame.
"From now on, we will be closely monitoring big cases right from the time it is reported up to the time the perpetrators have been convicted and sent to jail," Lina told The STAR Thursday night. "I think the case of Jacky would make a good model for our kidnap watch project."
He said the kidnap watch would ensure that the various pillars of the local criminal justice system would uphold justice at all times.
The Tiu kidnapping case gained national prominence after The STAR reported that the Chinese embassy had tried to pressure local authorities to release two of the seven Chinese nationals arrested by police in connection with the abduction of the La Union-based businesswoman.
The Tiu kidnap has deeply worried the close-knit Filipino-Chinese community, which has borne the brunt of kidnapping cases in the last two decades. Leaders are particularly concerned that this time, a gang from the Chinese mainland was involved in Tiu’s kidnapping, which was the first reported incident of an abduction in San Fernando City.
One of the suspects, Zhang Du, was released after he was charged only as an accessory and allowed to post a bail of P100,000 for his temporary liberty. The other one, Zhang Xiwang, however, has been charged as a principal by direct participation along with the others. The offense is punishable by death under Philippine laws.
The other day, the Department of Foreign Affairs, after a long silence on the matter, issued a statement chiding the Chinese embassy for meddling with the case.
Victoriano Lecaros, DFA spokesman, said it was "inappropriate" for Chinese embassy officials to say that Zhang Xiwang and Zhang Du were innocent of charges that they had taken part with five compatriots in kidnapping Filipino-Chinese businesswoman Jacky Rowena Tiu in San Fernando, La Union in September last year.
"It is inappropriate to say that," he said. "Justice Secretary (Hernando) Perez was right that it is not for anyone but the court to determine the innocence or guilt (of their nationals)."
The 29-year-old Tiu, a resident of San Fernando City, was freed by the kidnappers after her family, which runs a hardware store in La Union, paid a P10-million ransom.
The regional trial court in La Union is hearing on Jan. 11 a motion for reinvestigation filed by a lawyer for the Tius along with another motion to defer trial filed by lawyers for Henry Ong, an eighth suspect in the case who remains at large.
In a diplomatic note sent on Oct. 29 last year, the Chinese embassy asked the DFA to have the Zhangs "released as soon as possible" as its officials are convinced that they were innocent and got involved in the kidnapping without their knowledge.
The Chinese embassy maintained it did not commit any diplomatic faux pas, saying the action it took on the case is in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
It also came out with statements in a number of local Chinese dailies accusing The STAR of trying to destroy Philippine-People’s Republic of China relations at a time when the Arroyo administration was making headway in furthering ties.
Justice Secretary Hernando Perez has assigned a state prosecutor to take over the case from La Union Assistant City Prosecutor Oscar Corpuz Sr., who Jacky has accused of bungling the case against her abductors.
Lina met with Jacky and members of her family Thursday night to assure them of his full support. He also said he would take up the case with his Chinese counterpart when he visits Beijing later this month to firm up agreements on cooperation in the fight against transnational crime.
Early that day, the Tius also met with Perez and National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force chief, Deputy Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. The NAKTAF was conducting a special conference on how to strengthen the case against the suspects in Jacky’s kidnapping.