Antipolo HS student abducted

Twelve heavily armed men abducted last Friday a female high school student and a nine-year-old Grade 3 pupil in Antipolo City.

However, the abductors later released the girl, Janine Espa—ñola, after realizing she was not their target.

It was Española who reported the incident to the Antipolo City police.

The police have yet to identify the victim, who was wearing the uniform of the Antipolo National High School (ANHS) when she was snatched at about 5 p.m. last Friday.

Española, a pupil of the Bagong Nayon Elementary School, said she was on her way home when a van blocked her path a few meters away from her school.

She said she was surprised when the armed men aboard the van grabbed her and the other victim.

The ANHS is just adjacent to her school, she said.

Inside the van, Española said she heard their abductors arguing whether they would also take her.

"One of the suspects seated in front of me said that I should not be taken so they released me," she said in Tagalog.

The girl said she saw one of their kidnappers covering the mouth of the unidentified victim with his bare hands while another was tying her hands and feet with nylon cords.

Probers are coordinating with ANHS officials to identify the kidnap victim.