Mother of kidnap victim testifies vs former actor

The mother of a kidnapped boy took the witness stand yesterday as the trial of former actor and congressman Dennis Roldan, accused of masterminding the abduction last February, resumed in Pasig City.

The prosecution played in court a taped conversation between Jenny Yu, mother of the three-year-old victim, and his kidnappers to bolster the case against Roldan and his co-accused.

Yu detailed how she and Roldan allegedly negotiated for 10 days over the ransom for the safe release of the boy.

The cell phone conversation between Yu and Roldan was recorded by elements of the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER).

The mobile phone used was among the pieces of evidence confiscated from Roldan when PACER agents stormed his house and arrested him in Fairview, Quezon City last Feb. 20, a day after the boy was rescued from a safehouse in Cubao.

The prosecution also submitted the transcription of the text messages exchanged between Yu and her son’s abductors from Feb. 9 to Feb. 19.

The mother broke in tears while narrating before Judge Agnes Carpio, of Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 261, her phone conversations with her son’s kidnappers from Feb. 9 to Feb. 19 this year.

She said the kidnappers initially demanded P250 million for the safe release of her son. The ransom was later reduced to P3 million.

"He threatened to prick my son’s penis if we did not give them what they wanted," a tearful Yu told the court.

Suspect-turned state witness Albert Pagdanganan testified last week that it was Roldan who had threatened to harm the victim if the ransom was not paid.

The Yu couple was able to raise close to P3 million by selling jewelry and other personal belongings as well as borrowing cash from relatives.

However, their son was rescued before they could deliver the ransom.

Yu said the kidnappers acquired all the information about her family from Suzette Wang, her close friend and Roldan’s reported girlfriend, is still at large.

Yu’s husband Roger, Roldan’s sister Isabel Rivas, an unidentified brother of Wang and anti-crime watchdog head Teresita Ang-See were among those who attended the hearing.

When he heard his son crying during the playing of one of the taped conversations, the father was unable to control his emotions.

"Bata lang ang kaya ninyong patulan," the father cried out in anger. He then kicked a bench in front of him, where Roldan and his five co-accused were seated, before rushing out of the courtroom.

The father returned when the last of the tapes were played. He continued to make comments, which earned the ire of Rivas, a former actress.

"Will you keep quiet?" Rivas asked the father.

He shot back at Rivas, shouting: "Shut up!"

Roldan, who heard the heated exchange, stared angrily at the father.

Wang’s brother said he did not know where his sister is.

"Hindi ko masagot kasi wala kaming communication," he said when asked of the whereabouts of Wang.

The Yu family lawyer, Mario Ongkiko, said the mother’s testimony corroborated Pagdanganan’s statements that it was Roldan himself who negotiated for the boy’s ransom.

The witness earlier admitted his role in the kidnapping, which was carried out last Feb. 9 at the Ortigas Center in Pasig City.

Ongkiko said the mother’s testimony also proved that Wang was the girlfriend of Roldan and a co-mastermind in the abduction of the boy.

During cross-examination, defense lawyer Sigfrid Fortun asked the mother if she had other proof that it was Roldan she was talking to over the phone or whether she saw the accused together with Wang.

The mother said she only saw pictures of Roldan and Wang together.