Kidnappers free Taiwanese girl; 2 Indian traders rescued

MANILA, Philippines - Police are hunting down five armed men who kidnapped an 11-year-old Taiwanese girl last Wednesday and released her two days later without ransom.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima said the Grade 6 student in Calamba, Laguna was dropped off by her kidnappers last Friday in San Pablo City.

The men were reportedly wearing police uniforms last Jan. 9 when they snatched Yu inside a village in Canlubang, Laguna.

Police said the kidnappers initially demanded P25 million for the release of the victim but the amount was later reduced to P10 million.

“After a series of negotiations, the victim was released at around 10 a.m. last Friday,” said Senior Superintendent Renato Gumban, chief of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG).

Gumban said the victim underwent post-traumatic stress debriefing after the incident.

In a separate operation, AKG operatives rescued Gurtej Singh and his wife Kulwinder Kaur, Indian nationals, in an operation last Jan. 4 in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, where four of the kidnappers were killed while a woman was arrested.

Police are now tracking down two unidentified kidnappers.

Singh and his wife had just came from a business meeting in Pulilan, Bulacan when five armed men kidnapped them.

The group initially demanded P20-million ransom but later reduced it to P10 million.

Last Dec. 22, the wife was released after the family paid P227,000 but her husband was left behind and the kidnappers asked for P3 million.

“To force the family to pay the ransom, the kidnappers cut the right pinkie finger of Singh and sent it to his wife,” said Gumban.

Since they had no more money, Gumban said the family sought the help of the AKG that managed to trace the kidnappers’ hideout and raided the area.