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The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recommended the filing of kidnap-for-ransom charges against the suspects in the abduction of the children of convicted drug trafficker Yu Yuk Lai last year.

In a resolution approved last March 15, the DOJ recommended the filing of charges against Nerio Almeda, an alias King, an alias Lorning, an alias Rita, an alias Gemma and several John Does.

On May 21, last year Joann Uy and Diana Uy were on board their black Mitsubishi Space Gear along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City with their driver Romeo Lantang, father Rogelio Uy and house helper Emelyn Rosario when their van was blocked by a red Mitsubishi Galant at about 3:45 p.m.

Five armed men ordered the victims to open the van, which was commandeered by three of the suspects.

Upon reaching Cherry Fooderama grocery, Diana and Joann were transferred to the Galant while their father, driver and house helper were left inside the van.

The suspects proceeded to a town house in Barangay Plainview, also in Mandaluyong, where they kept the victims for a week. The townhouse is owned by Dr. Froilan Dacumus, the DOJ said.

The same night, the suspects allowed the victims to talk to their brother, Ruben Uy, through a cellular phone and inform him that their abductors are demanding P40 million for their safe release.

Following a series of negotiations, Ruben was able to lower the ransom to P640,000. On May 27, 2006 the ransom was paid.

According to Joann and Diana, they left the safehouse on the red Galant with three of their kidnappers on May 28 at 9 am. The victims were released near the EDSA Central shopping complex in Mandaluyong City.

The victims said they immediately boarded a taxi and went directly to their mother, Yu Yuk Lai, who is detained at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong. The victims later learned that their kidnappers received a total of P743,000 in ransom.

During investigation, the victims were able to identify their kidnappers through pictures given by the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER).

The victims were also able to locate the safehouse where they were kept, with the help of the PACER.

Ruben testified that the kidnappers gave him instructions through cellular phone to deliver the P743,000 ransom in front of the SM North EDSA in Quezon City at about 9:20 p.m. on May 27. Another witness, Carla Uy, testified that it was Nerio Almeda and King who took the ransom money from them.

According to the DOJ, the suspects failed to appear during the preliminary investigation of the case and still remain at large.

Yu Yuk Lai, a Chinese national, turned controversial after then Court of Appeals Associate Justice Demetrio Demetria tried to help her by inquiring about the status of her trial.

The Supreme Court found that Demetria’s action violated the Code of Judicial Conduct and dismissed him from the judiciary with forfeiture of all benefits and barred him from government service.

Yu was sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking by the Manila Regional Trial Court on Sept. 20, 2001. – Mike Frialde