3 kidnap suspects slain; Chinese, Taiwanese victims rescued

MANILA, Philippines — Three suspected kidnappers who detained a Chinese and a Taiwanese in separate dog cages were killed in an alleged encounter with police who raided their safehouse in Parañaque City on Sunday.

The encounter between the suspects and members of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) and Southern Police District (SPD) occurred in Barangay B.F. Homes at around 5:50 p.m.

Police rescued two kidnap victims: Chinese Zhou Xiang Qin, 42, and Li Ci You, 33, a Taiwanese. They were found in a kennel.

AKG director Brig. Gen. Rudolph Dimas said prior to the raid, operatives from the Las Piñas police station rescued another victim, Lin Qingchang, who escaped from his captors.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the caretaker of the kidnappers’ safehouse in Barangay Pilar.

The caretaker, 22-year-old Lorriel Lozano, provided police with the information about the suspects’ other hideout in Parañaque, which led to the raid.

The suspects, who remain unidentified, suffered multiple gunshots to the body during the clash. Police rushed the kidnappers to the Medical Center in Parañaque where they were pronounced dead on arrival.

SPD director Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg said two 9mm pistols, a .45-caliber handgun, one 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition were recovered from the suspects’ hideout.

Police also seized an air gun, two handheld radios with charges, a bulletproof vest, assorted military, police and National Bureau of Investigation uniforms, fake license plates, counterfeit conduction stickers and a Toyota Innova multi-purpose vehicle.

The victims were brought to the AKG headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City for debriefing.

Dimas said three other persons who were at the suspects’ safe house were invited to the police station to shed light on their participation in the kidnapping.