Not kidnapping: Police to file child abuse case instead vs 6 persons

CEBU, Philippines - Instead of kidnapping, the police will file a child abuse complaint against the six individuals who lured children to get inside their van parked outside a school in Minglanilla, Cebu last Thursday.

Meanwhile, Minglanilla town officials are looking at deploying barangay tanods and police officers in schools to prevent any kidnapping incident.

Minglanilla Police Station Chief Dexter Calacar said last Thursday’s incident at the town’s central school does not merit kidnapping, since the children, aged nine to 11, were only lured to go with the suspects.

The children managed to ran away from the suspects.

“Based on evidence, di man sila maka-kidnapping, wa may attempted kidnapping gud. Unlike sa Revised Penal Code nga naay abduction. Sa abduction, mao nay amo gitanaw kung pwede ba attempted abduction,” Calacar said.

On Thursday night, James Paradela, Reymart Abobo, Frederico Dela Cruz,

Estella Montes, Marian Sereño and Rhea Mae Sagmon – who are all educational consultants in a company that sells interactive materials for children - were arrested after their L300 van, where children are allegedly lured into, was found in Naga City.  Investigation revealed that Paradela allegedly grabbed one of the children to accompany him to pick a guava fruit by riding their L300 van.

One of the children, however, refused, saying that the guava fruit across their school is not yet ripe, and ran away from Paradela.

The student eventually reported the incident to their teacher.

“Mao gyod nay klarong kaso – (violation of Republic Act) 7610.  Tanang sakay sa van, including (the) driver, gibuhatan namo og kaso.  Depende ra ni sa fiscal kung asa ilang participation,” he said.

Calacar said the suspects are detained in the station’s holding cell, pending the filing of the criminal complaint tomorrow.

The suspects’ employers have yet to coordinate with the police about the arrest of the six employees.

“Wala pa (nag-coordinate).  Amo pang gipa-verify. Wala man gud sila nihatag og certification or ID,” Calacar added.

Calacar also said the children’s parents are determined to file a case against the suspects, because they find it alarming and it is not the first time the same case has happened in their town.

“Akong tan-aw, murag kursonada sila kay naa na baya’y incident ang Minglanilla sa kidnapping,” he said.

On Feb. 8, 2011, six-year-old Ella Joy Pique was on her way home from her school in Barangay Calajoan, Minganilla was abducted and was found dead the following day in a cliff in Barili, Cebu.

Meanwhile, Municipal Councilor Jerry Canares, Chairman of the Committee on Peace and Order, said that there should be a security detail inside and outside of every school in their town.

They will recommend the deployment of barangay tanods and police officers in each school.

Calacar, however, said that instead of assigning a police officer for each school, they would just conduct regular police patrol, since they only have few police officers.

However, the police have already tapped the Barangay Peace Action Team (BPAT) aside from the barangay tanods as their force multipliers.

He also recommends that each school may hire security guards for the students‘ safety.

Calacar also disclosed that they have already conducted checkpoint operations every night to deter any crime.

Councilor Prose Fajutrao, who heads the town’s Committee on Education, said the teachers must continue the prevention program they created last Monday together with all school heads, town officials and the police.

She also advised all schools to immediately contact the police for any similar incident that may probably happen.

“Ipahibaw dayon kung dunay nahitabo.  Mosulti dayon, kung dili, mu-syagit ba ron o mukisi-kisi, o molugnot.   Dili moduol ug wala kaila nga mga taw,” she added. —/GAN (FREEMAN)