NPD offers security to rescued kidnap victim

While the hunt is still on for the four remaining kidnappers of a Valenzuela City businessman, the Northern Police District’s intelligence chief yesterday offered to provide security to the rescued victim and his family.

"We are willing to provide security to the victim as his family to protect them from possible harassment from the at large suspects," said Superintendent Rafael Santiago, chief of the NPD’s District Intelligence and Investigation Division.

Police rescued Eric Tan, 29, owner of a plastic manufacturing firm in Valenzuela City, from his kidnappers in an operation Friday night in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City. Three of his abductors were killed.

Tan said that he would consult his family about the offer claiming that what happened to him has had enormous impact on his normal life.

"For now I have decided to just stay at home. My family and I are still contemplating on what to do next," Tan told The STAR.

On January 2004, Tan’s older brother, Evan, was also abducted in Caloocan City and was found dead in Norzagaray, Bulacan the next day.

"He was a victim of robbery," according to Tan.

At around 6:30 p.m. Friday, Tan was about to leave their firm’s office in Valenzuela City aboard their company vehicle with his 63-year-old mother when four gunmen aboard a green Mitsubishi Lancer snatched him.

Police later found out that the gunmen brought Tan to their safe house in Barangay 176 in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.

During the rescue operation at around 9 p.m., three of the suspects, Bryan Diario, the alleged leader of the group, his two cohorts – Joselito Rinos and one identified only as Romy – were killed. Four of the group’s members escaped.

Police recovered from the slain kidnappers two .45 caliber pistols, a homemade .30 caliber revolver, ammunition magazines and two hand grenades.

Also recovered was the suspects’ getaway vehicle, which Santiago said is owned by a certain Sandra Romera, a resident of Sta. Mesa, Manila.

The other vehicle, a blue Honda XRM is registered to one of the slain suspects, Rinos.

NPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Tango directed yesterday Santiago to dig deeper into the case and to arrest the remaining suspects as soon as possible and to also find out the owner of the two-story house which the suspects’ used as their lair, and other individuals connected to the group’s activities.