Chinoy trader’s son seized in Iloilo

A 13-year-old son of a Chinese-Filipino businessman was snatched while on his way home from school in Iloilo City last Tuesday, and radio reports said his abductors have lowered their ransom demand from P50 million to P10 million.

This developed as a suspect in the Oct. 14 ransom kidnapping of a college student in Antipolo City was picked up by elements of the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER) the other day.

The suspect, Michael Hidalgo, 26, yielded pieces of jewelry and P39,500 of the P100,000 ransom paid by the family of kidnap victim Alvin Chris de la Cruz, 16, a University of Santo Tomas student.

According to reports of radio station Aksyon Radyo Iloilo, Jeferson Tan, son of Iloilo City businessman Joseph Tan, was picked up by their family driver at the Iloilo Chinese Commercial High School and while going out of Ledesco Village in La Paz district at about 5 p.m., a bicycle bumped the car.

The man riding the bicycle asked to be brought to a hospital but at this instance, three other men appeared, forced the driver out and sped away with the car, taking along Jeferson, radio reports said.

Aksyon Radyo Iloilo, which first learned about the incident, said Chief Superintendent Marcelo Navarro Jr., Western Visayas police director, requested for a media blackout.

However, Navarro’s request was apparently ignored when a community paper came out with the story.

The Iloilo Chinese Commercial High School has reportedly issued a memorandum to its faculty members not to give any statement, especially to media, about the kidnapping.

Meanwhile, Hidalgo did not resist arrest when PACER agents cornered him in his residence at Vermont Park in Barangay Mayamot, Antipolo City at about 6 p.m. Thursday.

Investigation showed that Hidalgo and the kidnap victim were basketball buddies in their subdivision.

At about 8:30 a.m. last Oct. 14, Hidalgo reportedly grabbed De la Cruz, forced him inside his vehicle and blindfolded him. Hidalgo then put on a ski mask.

Using De la Cruz’s cellphone, Hidalgo reportedly called up the victim’s parents and demanded P1-million ransom. De la Cruz’s father is a government employee.

After brief negotiations, Hidalgo reportedly agreed to lower the ransom to P100,000 and pieces of jewelry. The payoff was done in the vicinity of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System in Old Balara, Quezon City that same afternoon.

PACER agents were deployed in the area but failed to catch Hidalgo. But they managed to jot down the license plate (WCF 478) of his gray Mitsubishi Lancer.

De la Cruz was subsequently freed at the parking lot of a shopping mall in Cainta, Rizal. Instead of going home, he went malling, apparently unaware that ransom was paid for him.

When he went home, he learned about the whole thing and together with his parents, sought the help of Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. who, in turn, directed PACER agents to go after Hidalgo.

Hidalgo reportedly owned up to the crime during tactical interrogation, saying he was forced to commit it to support his casino habit.

Police filed a case of kidnapping with ransom against Hidalgo with the Antipolo City prosecutor’s office yesterday. He is detained at the PACER headquarters at Camp Crame.