Jitters hit WV business community

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas had to assure the city’s businessman that there was no need to panic, pointing out that every effort was being exerted not to allow another kidnapping similar to last week’s snatching of 13-year old Jefferson Tan, a first year student of the Chinese Commercial High School.

While Ilonggos watched with bated breath developments on the Tan snatching, Trenas worried aloud to local newsmen that the abduction will have a negative impact on Iloilo’s business climate. For one, prospective business investors may have second thoughts about plans to invest in Iloilo.

The beleaguered city executive met with members of the Iloilo business community Tuesday night.

But the talks that swirled in the former Queen City of the South was that there had been three other previous snatchings. The victims purportedly were all Filipino-Chinese students. Unfortunately, these were not reported to the police.

Yesterday, I tapped my sources, including those in the underworld, and the talks tended to confirm the earlier report that two of the three kidnappers may have strong connections. Even Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas did not mince words in theorizing that local politicians or police officers may have been involved in the Tan kidnapping.

"They wouldn’t dare if no one assured them of success," Gov. Tupas told local mediamen in Ilonggo.

PNP regional director Marcelo Navarro Jr., however, refused to verify the Iloilo governor‘s opinion.

The 13-year old student was kidnapped around 4:30 p.m. last Oct. 15 inside the posh Ledesco Subdivision after he had left school to go home.

Jefferson was reportedly at the wheel of the Honda CRV when a bicycle-rider suddenly loomed in front of the vehicle. When he thought he had sideswiped the rider, the student asked his driver "Ringo" to get down and help the mishap victim. Instead, two others approached and when the car’s doors had been opened, they then joined Tan, a classmate, and the driver.

Later, the trio allowed Tan’s driver to get off together with the student’s classmate. They boarded a separate getaway vehicle.

Officially, the Tan snatch was the first to have rocked the capital city of Western Visayas since the 1995 kidnap-slaying of Bacolod businesswoman Roberta (Obet) Cokin. Several, including former PNP Supt. R. Maclang had been convicted for that case. They are now in the New Bilibid Prizon.

But for knowledgeable Iloilo sources, including those from the underworld, the trio seemed to have violated an unwritten code that organized criminals adhere to when they use the province as rest and recreation area do not commit crimes locally. But the well-known enforcer of that code died recently and may have emboldened the trio to hatch the kidnapping plan.

Rumors in the city indicated that the initial ransom demand was for P50 million. This reportedly had been scaled down to P15M. But negotiations are still ongoing and until my departure from the city yesterday, no word has been received on the outcome of talks for the safe release of the 13-year old Tsinoy boy.

Even the normally knowledgeable member of the Bacolod Tsinoy community admitted they were kept in the dark about the progress of the family’s negotiations for the release of Jefferson.

That incident plus the bombing scare heightened anxieties among businessmen and city residents. I heard several business operators complain that there had been a perceptible drop in customers during the weekend.

Some friends in the Fil-Chinese community, however, readily admitted that they are worried that the backlash of that kidnapping could include adoption of defensive moves including possible flight by prominent families from the region. That could have a devastating effect on the regional economy.

Tightened security

The immediate impact of the Tan kidnapping was the adoption of extra precautions and tighter security in several Iloilo City schools. Some parents had even been reported to have hired private bodyguards to protect their children from snatching.

Schools, patronized by scions of prominent families, issued new gate passes and identification cards, including for yayas and drivers of private vehicles.

School authorities and parents also asked increased police visibility outside or adjacent to school premises.

The Colegio de Hijas de Jesus (CHJ), according to Sr. Lourdes Marzona, saw the school officials and the parents-teachers association request PNP Supt. Policarpio Segubra to increase police presence near the school.

Other schools that resorted to tightened security included the Sta. Maria Catholic School, headed by Fr. Manuel Uy Jr., The Sun Yat Sen High School also increased security arrangements and warned students from staying outside the school campus post dismissal.

The exclusive boys’ school, Westbridge, also admitted having ordered extra alert to all incoming cars and visitors to keep the children safe, Director Ronald Gilles told Iloilo practitioners.

Many Iloilo veteran journalists noted that some of the schoolchildren, who used to be accompanied by yayas, are now with male bodyguards, reinforcing the perception that parents have reacted strongly to the latest kidnapping incident.

Although an Iloilo daily had bannered the army take over of the waterfront area, particularly the Iloilo domestic harbor, there was no evidence yesterday noon of uniformed military men in the pier area.

But inspection of luggage and cargo perceptibly heightened. And more personnel had been deployed by Supercat, for example, in meticulously examining luggage, especially cartons wrapped in plastic. Profusely apologizing for the inconvenience, I saw the inspectors at the harbor taking off the plastic wrappers and inspecting the contents to avert any possibility of a hidden bomb.

Task Force Panay, headed by PA Maj. Aurelio Vendanillo was named head of the waterfront PA command. The task force’s jurisdiction includes Philippine Ports Authority ports in Oboc, La Paz, and Fort San Pedro as well as the Iloilo domestic harbor.

Post the briefing in Malacañang Sunday on terrorism and safety measures needed, Mayor Trenas assured Ilonggos that he will personally spearhead the anti-terrorism campaign in the city.

Among those who attended the Malacañang confab were Aklan Governor Florentino Miraflores, chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council, Trenas, Bacolod City Mayor Joy Valdez and PNP and AFP top brass with members of National Security Council, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and some members of the Cabinet, according to Trenas.

Post that Malacañang briefing, Miraflores asked Western Visayas executives to support the national identification card system.

Taking his cue from the offer by both Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Baguio City Vice Mayor Lourdes Tabanta to pilot-test the system in their respective cities, Miraflores said local government units in Region Six do the same.