Classmates, teachers vouch for kidnapped boy

CEBU, Philippines - From his school mentors to his classmates, testimonies showed that the 22-year-old high school student who was allegedly abducted outside his school in Barangay Apas has a good record and personality.

Chief Insp. Bonifacio Garciano, head of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch of the Cebu City Police Office, said they started conducting a background check on the student to determine the motive behind the abduction.

Garciano said they went to the student’s school. The school principal, as well as the adviser, both claimed that the abducted student has a good reputation in school.

Garciano said the classmates would also describe Mike as the silent type and well-behaved

“Dili man g’yud daw siya myembro og gang matud pa sa iyang mga classmate,” Garciano said. (His classmates said he is not a member of a gang.)

At this moment, IDMB is eyeing fraternity affiliation as the most possible motive behind the abduction. Garciano said they are also still not ruling out the possibility that the victim was mistaken as somebody else.

The boy alleged that his abductors, who call each other as “brod”, accused him of killing their companion. Garciano said they have been waiting for the boy to appear at their office yesterday for the pre-arranged illustration of the abductors’ “facial composition.”

But the victim did not appear, he said, apparently already attending school. The IDMB chief said he assigned a police personnel to monitor the victim and his case.

Garciano said they are still gathering more evidence before they can officially declare that the incident is not a “kidnap me” scenario or if there really is truth to the boy’s claim that he has not offended anybody nor affiliated with any fraternity.

The IDMB is also checking the background of the victim’s parents.

The boy, a high school student, was reportedly abducted outside his school last Saturday by three decent-looking young men riding on a gray-colored car. He managed to escape and finally reunited with his family last Monday. — (FREEMAN)