French, Japanese execs victimized by Ativan Gang

Outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Leandro Mendoza advised all foreign tourists in the country to stay away from strangers, posing as affluent members of the business community, to avoid falling prey to the notorious Ativan Gang.

Mendoza, the newly appointed Transportation secretary, issued the statement following reports that a French and two Japanese executives were the latest victims of the gang, in addition to Korean diplomat Chung Young Ho, recently in the Makati business district.

"We are advising all foreigners not to entertain strangers and avoid ‘honky-tonk’ (areas) when they go drinking and mixing with women (because) if you go to ‘honky-tonks, mayroon talagang disgracia. We are reiterating our advisory to them," Mendoza said.

Two Japanese executives expressed their intention to formally file charges against the alleged members of the Ativan Gang, the same group who victimized Chung, the Third Secretary of the Korean Embassy whose lifeless body was found dead in a morgue last Monday in Marikina City.

Accompanied by his colleagues, Japanese Shuhel Uchida, a rolling stock engineer of the Metro Manila Light Railway Transit Authority (LRTA), personally went to the office of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Director Nestorio Gualberto to file a complaint.

The French national was identified as Michel Hennequin, 53, married, a cattle breeder and temporarily residing at Unit 2610 of Prime Town Century Tower, Makati City.

Uchida pointed to the man known as Roberto Sambili as the same man who approached him somewhere in Makati City last Sunday. The guy, who knows how to speak Japanese, sought the victim’s help because his vehicle was stalled.

The suspect befriended Uchida before he was shoved into an unknown type of vehicle. Uchida said he was fortunate because he was dropped off by the suspects also in Makati City after they took his P1,000.

Another Japanese whose name was not immediately identified, was also victimized by the group last Monday. – Christina Mendez