Get those kidnappers

You know a string of crimes is crying for solution when strange, sometimes grisly tales start proli-ferating. In Metro Manila and Central Luzon, residents talk of young girls being kidnapped and sold for sex before their body organs are harvested for sale to the ailing rich. So far, four girls have escaped from the kidnappers, but a number of others remain missing. No bodies have turned up yet with missing organs so the last part of the tale is unverified. But the likelier angle -- that the kidnapped girls end up in prostitution dens -- is no less worrisome.

Three girls aged 9, 10 and 13 were abducted near their schools in Tarlac City last Jan. 4. The three said they were forced to inhale a drug-soaked piece of cloth that put two of them to sleep. The third said she held her breath and pretended to fall asleep. She was awake when a fourth girl in high school uniform was abducted in San Fernando, Pampanga. They were brought to an abandoned warehouse in Balintawak, Quezon City where the first three victims managed to escape. Last Jan. 22, an 18-year-old college student was also abducted in Tarlac after paying her telephone bill. She said she managed to escape when the kidnappers pulled their van over to relieve themselves, again in Balintawak. Other girls have been reported kidnapped in Makati.

When reports of the abductions came out a few weeks ago, police said the girls could have simply eloped or left home. The reports finally merited some serious investigation after the Senate stepped in and some of the girls who managed to escape related their experiences. Investigators believe the similar stories point to only one group that is likely involved in a white slavery operation. One girl said there were other victims in the kidnappers' vehicle when she escaped.

Those who escaped have provided the police with descriptions of some of the kidnappers. Until the suspects are found, police and local government officials can coordinate with school authorities and parents to protect potential victims. Mean-while, every lead must be pursued to get the kidnappers and rescue their victims.