Probers eye old grudge behind Binondo kidnap

A personal grudge may be the motive behind the abduction of a Chinese couple by 10 armed men in Binondo, Manila, early Thursday morning, Manila police investigators yesterday said.

Chief Inspector Eduardo Villena, chief of the Western Police District General Assignments Section, said that victims Benedict Leong, a Singaporean and Judith Chan, a British national, both residents of 17 Baretto St., Phase VI, BF Homes, Parañaque City, were reportedly abducted in connection with their overseas recruitment operation. The victims were earlier reported by police as Filipino-Chinese traders.

Police said that the victims could have been ordered abducted by one of their clients who failed to make it abroad despite paying a hefty placement fee.

The police confirmed that the suspects had asked for P150 million in exchange for the safe release of the two victims.

According to Western Police District director, Senior Superintendent Nicolas Pasinos, police investigators were able to contact Evelyn de Leon, cousin of the wife of Benedict.

De Leon told investigators that they had received telephone calls from one of the suspects at about 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. last Thursday. According to De Leon, the unidentified caller demanded P150 million for the safe release of the victims.

According to De Leon, the suspect set 8 a.m. yesterday as the deadline for them to comply with the demand. Police declined to say if the relatives of the victims were able to comply.

The victims’ driver Herman Cura, 28, (not Cuna as earlier reported), told police that he was driving the victims to their home from Tuguegarao, Cagayan, when their pick-up truck (not car as earlier reported) was stopped by about ten armed men clad in police uniforms.
Cura said he immediately got down from the pick-up and ran away after hearing a gun shot. He was later informed by bystanders that his employers were dragged away by the suspects to a waiting Mitsubishi Adventure van with plate number WHD-980.

Police said Benedict, a Singapore national, is married to Josie Leong, a Filipina and owner of STD Manpower Services. Judy Chan is a British national and is the company’s principal who has been in the country since last April 23 to interview job applicants.

Recovered from the crime scene were an empty caliber .45 shell and a red bag containing a policeman’s overseas cap, a deformed red flashlight, a gauze bandage, two blank cassette tapes, a prepared letter warning the victims’ relatives not to report the incident to the police, a National Capital Region Police Office patch, a roll of masking tape and a box of band aid.

Police said the bag was left behind by one of the suspects during the ensuing commotion. Also recovered at the scene were Chan’s pair of white shoes and a pair of sandals belonging to Leong.

Meanwhile police traced the license plates of the suspects’ getaway van to a Besta van owned by Reynaldo Cuneta of Taguig, Metro Manila.

Manila Police have summoned Cuneta to explain how his van’s plates ended up with the kidnap suspects.

As these developed, the WPD in coordination with the PNP’s Special Task Group, is still conducting an investigation into the incident.

Yesterday afternoon, Cura was subjected to a polygraph test at the National Bureau of Investigation. He was also asked by the WPD to describe the suspects to a police sketch artist.