Woman taken, robbed, tied to a tree 80 km away

CEBU, Philippines — A 60-year-old businesswoman sought the help of Moalboal police on Tuesday dawn after two unidentified men took her from the basement of a mall in Cebu City and dropped her off in Barangay Kanyuko, Dumanjug town in southern Cebu – a distance of about 80 kilometers.

Police believed that an organized robbery group could be behind the alleged robbery and abduction of Elizabeth Seniedo, a resident of Barangay Talamban, Cebu City.

According to Seniedo’s accounts, she went to a mall in Talamban on Monday noon after withdrawing cash from the bank. However, when she returned to the basement where she parked her 2016 Fortuner, the two suspects with masks on approached and held her at gunpoint.

Police Senior Inspector Arieza Otida, chief of Talamban police, said the suspects allegedly blindfolded the victim and tied her hands before she was ushered to her car.

“Sige kuno og ingon nga kalma lang kay gamay ra daw ilaha…The intention really was to rob her. Actually, one of the suspects nangayo kay manganakay ang asawa,” Otida said.

While on the road, Seniedo could hear the two men talking but she could not understand them as they were not speaking in Cebuano.

After dropping her off in Dumanjug, the suspects allegedly tied her to a tree, took her bag with cash worth not less than P15,000 and some jewelry, then sped off onboard her brown Fortuner with plate number AED 3357.

Seniedo eventually untied her hands, rode a bus, and got off at Moalboal Police Station to report the incident.

There, she was able to contact her family, who in turn coordinated with Talamban police.

It was possible, Otida said, that the suspects might have been monitoring the victim prior to the incident.

Otida did not also discount the possibility that the suspects were professional robbers and had cohorts, considering that they were able to avoid areas where checkpoints were in place.

Police are now reviewing CCTV footages from the basement of the mall and other areas for possible identification of the suspects.

Talamban police are also coordinating with the Regional Intelligence Branch and Regional Special Operations Group to expand their investigation. (FREEMAN)