8 nabbed for kidnapping Chinese

MANILA, Philippines — Eight people, including the victim’s alleged girlfriend, were arrested for kidnapping a Chinese man on Thursday, an official said yesterday.

July Monterde, 20; Jaypee Mangalindan, 22; Ralph Garma, 29; Rustom Laurencio, 22; Realan Labto, 33; Glenn Garcia, 26; Joel Mariano, 35, and Carlo Villador were arrested during a raid on a salon and spa in Barangay Holy Spirit at around 4:30 a.m.

Lt. Col. Jeffry Bilaro, Quezon City Police District Station 14 commander, said they rescued Qin Zhi Xuan, whom the suspects kept at the establishment since Thursday.

Probers said Monterde was Qin’s girlfriend, whom the victim met at a Korean restaurant in Don Antonio Heights Subdivision on Thursday at around 8 p.m.

Bilaro said Monterde and the other suspects detained Qin, blindfolded him and robbed him of 20,000 renminbi (at least P154,000).

The suspects brought Qin to their hideout, where they contacted the victim’s relatives in China for a ransom demand of 60,000 renminbi (around P463,000).

Qin’s relatives wired the money through a Chinese mobile payment app but the suspects still refused to release him.

Bilaro said they launched a rescue operation following a tip from a confidential informant.

One of the suspects, Laurencio, yielded a .45 caliber pistol.

Police are preparing charges of serious illegal detention and robbery extortion against the suspects. A separate charge of illegal possession of a firearm will be filed against Laurencio, Bilaro said.