Kidnapped trader, employee rescued

CABUYAO, Laguna — After almost 24 hours in captivity, a businesswoman and her female employee were rescued unhurt here early yesterday morning.

Businesswoman Josephine Chua, 43, and her employee, Ivy Balibag, 36, were abducted while they were walking on their way to the steel company which Chua’s brother owns in Pamplona, Las Piñas City at about 7:30 a.m. last Monday.

Witnesses earlier said Chua and Balibag shouted for help as they were being dragged into an L-300 van.

The witnesses informed the police about the kidnapping, prompting the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) to immediately locate the lair of the kidnappers who had demanded P3-million ransom in exchange for the release of the victims.

NAKTF operatives, assisted by the Cabuyao and Las Piñas police, found Chua and Balibag blindfolded and tied up inside a room in one of the rowhouses in Purok 5, Barangay Bigaa here at about 3:40 a.m. yesterday.

At least nine people, including the houseowner, identified as Rudy Calangcatang, and his wife Rowena, were arrested.

Senior Superintendent Eduardo Desquitado, Cabuyao police chief, identified the seven other suspects as Brigido Garcia, Brigette Garcia Jr., Domester Villar, JB Garcia, Jayson Garcia, Joel Onate and a couple surnamed Villar.

The suspects were taken to the NAKTF headquarters at Camp Crame for tactical investigation and eventual filing of kidnap-for-ransom charges against them. — With Ed Amoroso and Jaime Laude