NBI rescues woman kidnapped for sex

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents in Bacolod arrested a 34-year-old man for allegedly kidnapping a 31-year-old woman he held captive for seven days in a hotel in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, Wednesday afternoon.

NBI-Bacolod head Ferdinand Lavin yesterday said they arrested Gilbert Escuadro, resident of San Carlos City, at Skyland Hotel and eventually rescued his victim, whose name is being withheld by the bureau.

Lavin said the victim and the suspect are now in custody of the NBI. The suspect is facing charges of kidnapping, serious illegal detention and multiple rape, he said.

It was the victim’s househelp who reported the kidnapping to the NBI late afternoon of July 23, claiming that her employer was kidnapped on July 18.

The NBI however had to confirm that this was not another case of boyfriend-girlfriend quarrel, so it took its agents two days to finally arrest Escuadro.

In an interview, the victim claimed that since she was kidnapped on July 18, Escuadro beat her, strangled her, and forced her to have sex with him twice a day.

She said Escuadro’s habitual abduction of her has been going for two years already. Sometimes, she would be able to escape from him, but every time he was able to find her, and forced him to come with him.

She further alleged that she had no choice but to act as if she loved him, because if she does not, he would threaten to kill all her family members. When she tried to escape in August last year, Escuadro allegedly shot him in the abdomen, she said.

The victim said she is married to a 42-year-old German national who she said is coming to the Philippines to bring her to his country.

In a separate interview, Escuadro, who is now detained in the lock-up cell of the NBI, denied he kidnapped her. He said they were in the hotel because they were having a relationship for two years already.

The victim’s family knew about their relationship and they even wanted to kill him, Escuadro said. - THE FREEMAN