Kidnap suspects set for transfer

SAN FERNANDO CITY — The seven detained suspects in last year’s kidnapping of Jackie Rowena Tiu here will be transferred from the provincial jail to the municipal jail of neighboring Bauang town, a state prosecutor said.

State prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon cited security reasons for the suspects’ transfer. He said Gov. Victor Ortega, in a letter-request, took note of reports that the suspects were allegedly planning to escape.

Tiu’s lawyers earlier had brought to the court’s attention the laxity of provincial jail warden Art Bautista in allowing Xu Yu Kwang, alias Tony Co, the kidnappers’ alleged leader, to go out of jail.

Xu allegedly had a tooth extracted at the city health office and later withdrew money from a bank, with jail guards Gabriel Flores and Lyndon Fernando and jail drivers Oscar Bustamante and Ramos Santos escorting him.

In a letter of explanation, Bautista cited humanitarian grounds for his decision to allow Xu to go out of jail and promised that the incident will not happen again.— Vic Alhambra Jr.