GMA commends 2 cops in rescue of abducted trader

President Arroyo personally commended yesterday the vigilance of two police officers who were instrumental in rescuing a businesswoman from her abductors last Saturday in Caloocan City.

The President congratulated Senior Inspector Ophelio Concina and Senior Inspector Elmer Bullong, who led the raid on the suspected kidnappers’ hideout in Caloocan.

Mrs. Arroyo also expressed gratefulness for the help of an "anonymous caller," who gave the police information on the hideout.

"You found out about this because of an anonymous caller. We want to highlight this to show that the success of our anti-kidnapping or any other campaign regarding peace and order is dependent on the help of the community," the President said.

Authorities also thanked the family of victim Sonia Lim Sanchez for trusting and cooperating with the police.

"It was a very, very quick action, it did not even take 24 hours," the President said.

During the rescue operation, police also killed three of the alleged kidnappers of Sanchez in a shootout that lasted for only about a few minutes.

Sanchez was seized at 5.30 a.m. last Thursday as she was opening the auto spare parts store, which she owned in Palanan, Makati.

The suspects, believed to be members of a splinter group of the Waray Waray kidnap-for-ransom gang, had demanded a P20 million in ransom. The amount was reduced to P15 million by the time Sanchez was rescued.

Police said no ransom was paid and Sanchez was also unhurt.

The anonymous male caller phoned the police at about 11 a.m. last Thursday, saying he saw a group of men dragging a woman to a house inside the Vista Verde subdivision some two hours earlier.

He gave the address of the house, a two-bedroom duplex at Vista Verde Subdivision, Caloocan North.

Police then immediately sent a team and placed the house under surveillance.

The team was able to confirm that a woman was being held in a room in the house and that three men were guarding her.