Kidnappers of Japanese businessman identified

Police have the identities of the kidnappers of a Japanese businessman, who, feeling the heat of a police-military pursuit, abandoned him in Surigao del Norte Tuesday night.

"It’s only a matter of time before the law catches up on them," said Senior Superintendent Renerio Camins, Caraga deputy police director. He refused to identify the kidnappers pending their arrests.

In a statement, Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers said the massive police-military manhunt forced the early release of Yasumitzu Hashiba, 47, who is married to a Surigueña, Mercedita Lupio, of Lanuza, Surigao del Sur.

Hashiba was visiting his wife when six armed robbers took him from Lupio’s house in Barangay Bunga, Lanuza town during their escape in the wee hours of Jan. 23. The robbers fled with P50,000 in cash and jewelry.

Barbers said he ordered the provincial police led by Superintendent Ricky Paz Nerbes and the Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion to beef up their manhunt after receiving intelligence reports that Hashiba was in one of the islands.

"My order probably caused panic among the kidnappers who were reportedly negotiating a P3-million ransom," he said, adding though that no money changed hands.

Hashiba told reporters during a press briefing which Barbers called after his release, that he was blindfolded when his captors told him to disembark from their pumpboat and then left him.

"I was treated fairly well by the six kidnappers," he said.

Inspector Romeo Ramos, police chief of San Jose, Surigao del Norte, said his men found Hashiba at the pier in dirty clothes and carrying a plastic bag containing two pieces of clothes and the cellphone number of his wife.

"He was still in trauma and his statements were incoherent. So he was told to rest and we waited until the next morning for us to ascertain his real person. At first, we did not know that he was the Japanese kidnapped in Lanuza," Ramos said.