Keep hands off kidnap case, cops, Duterte told

DAVAO CITY — The family of kidnap victim Ma. Cecilia Bonifacio has asked Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and the police to keep their hands off the case to ensure her and her two companions’ safe release.

"They want to be left alone. The government will stand by," Duterte said.

The 25-year-old kidnap victim, a daughter of the owners of Bonifacio Motors Inc., was abducted Thursday morning, along with her two companions, Fe Jayno and Norma Jayno.

The three women, who were aboard a Toyota Rav4 which Ma. Cecilia was driving, were flagged down by heavily armed men at the Sta. Ana wharf here.

Duterte said he himself did not attempt to contact the Bonifacio family because he wanted them to handle the situation first.

He said any intervention from local authorities, even from the police, would endanger the lives of the three women.

Duterte told reporters an emissary of the Bonifacio family relayed their request for authorities to keep their hands off the case.

The mayor, however, said lawmen would stay in the sidelines while the Bonifacios take care of the matter.

"Even if the government adheres to a no-ransom policy, it should also protect the lives of kidnap victims," he said.

Authorities corrected earlier reports that Bonifacio was abducted by suspected members of the "Pentagon" kidnap-for-ransom gang which operates in Central Mindanao.

A source in the police intelligence group here said no one from Pentagon gang was involved in the abduction.

"The problem these days is that whenever somebody is abducted here, lawmen immediately say it is the making of the Pentagon gang. But this case, I assure you, is not in any way part of the operations of that kidnap-for-ransom group," the source added.