3 Chinese nabbed for Pinay’s kidnap

MANILA, Philippines — Three Chinese nationals who were allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a Filipino woman whom Sen. Grace Poe said was brought to a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) in Cavite were arrested in Makati and Pasay, police announced yesterday.

Pasay police chief Col. Byron Tabernilla identified the suspects as Jia He Zhang, 28; Yun Gao, 29, and Lie Wang, 32, who were apprehended on Dec. 19.

Zhang and Gao were captured along Chino Roces Avenue in Makati and Wang along Taft Avenue in Pasay.

Police seized a .45-caliber handgun, a 9mm pistol and an M1 fragmentation grenade from the suspects.

Tabernilla said the Chinese men were the ones who kidnapped the sister-in-law of Poe’s trusted friend.

In a privilege speech on Dec. 14, Poe revealed the victim was snatched in Pasay and brought to a POGO dormitory in Cavite, where she was sold off to a Chinese-looking buyer.

Poe said the suspects offered the victim a job as a personal assistant for P100,000. They then forced her into a Mitsubishi Xpander multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).

Tabernilla said they tracked down the vehicle’s registered owner through its conduction sticker.

It turned out the vehicle was rented by a group of people, he added.

Using the global positioning system installed in the MPV, police traced its location and took the driver into custody.

It turned out the suspects panicked and ordered the vehicle disposed of after Poe bared the kidnapping in her speech.

Asiatico added that the suspects instructed him to rent another sport utility vehicle to pick up another POGO applicant.

Zhang and Gao face charges for violating Republic Act 10591, the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition, while Wang was slapped with charges for possession of an explosive.

Tabernilla said they will coordinate with Poe for the victim’s identity so they could file additional charges against the suspects, who are detained at the Pasay police station’s detention cell.