Aside from the jewelry items valued at more or less P300,000 taken from the victim’s body, abductors of alleged kidnap victim William Lim reportedly "settled" for P2.5 million cash in exchange for his "quick release". The Chinese-Filipino lending executive was snatched by unidentified suspects last August 29 outside his residence in Iloilo City, highly-reliable sources said on September 3. Alarmed after the media stumbled into the kidnapping case, his abductors who initially demanded a ransom money of P10 million to P20 million, released Lim last Saturday night
If the incident was not discovered by the media, the negotiations for the original ransom would have continued," the sources said. The victim is about 35 to 40 years old. He is the manager/owner of Equity Lending Corporation, Inc. on Fuentes St., Iloilo City Proper.
If the incident was not discovered by the media, the negotiations for the original ransom would have continued," the sources said. The victim is about 35 to 40 years old. He is the manager/owner of Equity Lending Corporation, Inc. on Fuentes St., Iloilo City Proper.
INSTRUCTION
"The family was instructed to deny that Lim was kidnapped, so expect a melodrama ala soap opera and telenovela to unfold in the next days to come led by the Philippine National Police," said a source privy to the "transaction" who requested strict anonymity. Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has neither confirmed nor denied the incident but claimed Lim is now with his family "safe and sound."
The Lim family was reportedly expected to call for a press conference last Monday, September 4 to deny they paid a ransom (September 3) or today (September 4) after seeking the help of an unnamed priest. "It is understandable that they will deny it so as not to jeopardize the life of the victim," added the source. Hours before Lim’s release, Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6) Director Geary Barias cautioned the media not to report the abduction "so as not to endanger the life of the victim."
MEDIA ATTENTION
The crime was perpetrated while all the media attention was focused on the retrieval operation of the sunken MT Solar 1 by a Japanese ship in Guimaras sea. There was no blotter report in the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) about the incident and ICPO director Senior Supt. Norlito Bautista reportedly was facing a blank wall about the alleged kidnapping incident when news of Lim’s release came.
Barias is expected to give a statement to reporters in a press conference the other day. Various sectors, including the Chinese-Filipino community in Iloilo City, have already raised fears and doubts about the capability of the PNP’s intelligence network after nobody has been arrested as of press time even if the victim was already released.
IMPOSSIBLE
The PNP had earlier boasted that "it is impossible" for any kidnapping-for-ransom (KFR) group to operate in the city and province of Iloilo without being monitored by its intelligence network. This was the PNP’s main alibi when its officials also denied that there was a kidnapping incident in Iloilo City involving a 36-year old son of a prominent gas tycoon early this year.
Some local officials were also forced to deny the incident for fear that the city’s business and tourism climates will be affected. The incident happened less than a month after Barias took over as PRO6 regional director, replacing retired Chief Supt. Doroteo A. Reyes II. /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com
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