But cops doubt story: Another girl taken, flees

CEBU, Philippines - A high school student allegedly escaped from two men who abducted her on her way to school in Barangay Basak-San Nicolas last Thursday morning.

The girl, 13, together with her mother, reported the matter to the Mambaling Police Station at 8 p.m. the same day. But the police still have their doubts if the incident really happened.

The girl, a first year high school student of the Don Vicente Rama Memorial National High School, said she was on her way to school at 7 a.m. when she came upon two men, one she estimated at 30 years old and the other 50.

One of the men held a knife to her waist and forced her to get on a yellow multicab while the other man drove.

PO1 Edely Agusto of Mambaling Police Station said the girl alleged they drove toward Naga City.

“Nakabati daw siya miingon ‘tong isa ka laki sa driver na usa ra diay atong kuhaon. Mitubag sad daw tong driver na ‘ikaw.’ So mihunong daw sila sa skwelahan sa Tungkop, Minglanilla, then didto na sad sa Tayang kay wala daw sila’y na-kidnap na bata hangtod naabot sila sa Naga nya didto siya naka-eskapo,” Agusto said.

The girl went on to say when she saw the opportunity to fight back she yanked the hair of the captor and a scuffle ensued. She said a man happened to pass by and saw the commotion and came to her aid, allowing her to escape.

“Nakahigayon daw siya ug eskapo kay wala na man gati-on ang kutsilyo sa iyaha so midagan siya, gibunlot daw iyang buhok sa lalaki nya natunong nay milabay nagpalit ug pagkaon, nakamatikod sa commotion nya gipukpok kuno ang ulo sa lalaki, mao to nakaeskapo siya,” Agusto said.

When asked what the good Samaritan used to attack her captor she could not say. She later said the same man gave her fare to get a jeepney ride home.

“Ambot lagi unsa, mura ma’g scripted lagi,” Agusto said.

After receiving the report, the police went to Naga City and to locate the man who helped her escape but they did not find him.

Her classroom adviser Analie Hatamosa described her as a good-mannered student and in the top ten of her class.

“Maayo ug batasan, buotan unya never gyud na siya mo-absent,” Hatamosa said. She was wondering why the girl was absent last Thursday as it was their semi-final examinations.

The girl’s mother also went to the school that afternoon after her child did not return home.

Nympha Balili, the school’s principal, would not answer questions from the media yesterday, saying they are still conducting their own investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, Senior Supt. Louie Oppus, Deputy Regional Director for Operations, said parents should talk with their children regarding their studies as students may use the “kidnapping scenario” as an excuse not to go to school.

Oppus said yesterday that since Ellah Joy Pique’s case, there were already almost 20 unconfirmed reports on abductions and majority of the pupils or students involved later said they just fabricated stories because they actually wanted to skip classes.

Oppus said that as of yesterday, this report was still not confirmed.

“There are a lot of unconfirmed reports. For the past few days, sige ta ka-receive ug mga ingon ani nga reports. Ang mga bata man gud ron nagka-wise na, gigamit na lang ang rason nga mahadlok na sila mo-eskwela kay tungod sa kidnap,” Oppus said.

“Atong gihangyo ang mga parents nga alalayan ilang mga anak, storyahon panagsa to determine unsa ilang problema sa school ug unsa ilang gikahadlokan,” Oppus added.

Oppus said that the Toledo City Police Station alone, right after the Pique kidnap, received five unconfirmed abduction reports.

Pique was abducted by two suspects last Feb. 7 while she was on her way home from the Calajo-an Elementary School in Minglanilla. Her body was found in Barili the following morning. — /BRP (FREEMAN)