7-year-old girl escapes from van full of kidnapped children

A seven-year-old girl escaped from her abductors who hauled her to a van full of other kidnapped children in Caloocan City on Tuesday afternoon.

A report on Unang Balita said an unidentified man took the child from her home in Barangay 167 at around 2 p.m.

In an interview, the girl said that the man posed as her parents' friend.

"Sabi niya pinapasundo daw ako. Tinakpan niya ang bibig ko. Nakatulog po ako. Paggising ko nandoon na lang ako sa van," the girl said.

She said she saw at least nine other children, who were all hogtied, inside the van.

The girl said she saw a chance to escape from the van when one of the three kidnappers went out and forgot to lock the doors.

"Nakalimutan ng isang lalaki na isarado ang pinto kaya po lumabas po ako. Nagtago po ako sa mga tao, tapos nagtago ako sa likod ng motor," she narrated.

She said she overheard the men talking that she and the other children will be sold.

The report said a tricycle driver saw the girl crying and volunteered to bring her home.

The girl was able to return home the same day of the abduction.

The girl's parents have reported the incident to the police. They are urging the police to find a way to rescue the other children who were abducted.

It was not clear if the other children in the van are also residents of Caloocan City.

Officials of Barangay 167 said that before the incident, they noticed that the CCTV cameras that they have installed in their area are suddenly not working.

Gilbert Violante, a barangay official, said they are investigating if the CCTV cameras were sabogated and if this has something to do with the kidnapping.

There have been other reports of children being kidnapped and hauled to a van in other parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces. —ALG, GMA News