PNP on Indian hostage rescue: CCTV didn't catch shootout between police, kidnappers

Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group chief Senior Superintendent Glenn Dumlao on Thursday clarified the circumstances surrounding the police rescue of a kidnapped Indian from his captors.

On GMA News TV's QRT, Jiggy Manicad asked Dumlao about the CCTV footage of the scene of the shootout between the police and the suspects.

Dumlao clarified that what the CCTV cameras caught was the aftermath of the firefight.

"Ang sa amin ay live na encounter 'yan. Nagkabarilan, hindi n'yo naman nakita yung barilan," he said.

"Makikita mo naman na may tama na yung kotse kaya huminto 'yun [sa U-turn]. Hindi na kailangang i-block dahil natamaan na, nagkaputukan na," he added.

He said that the operatives opened the door of the vehicle to check if the kidnap victim was in the car, and the dead kidnappers fell out.

"Ang primary concern namin sa operatives on the ground ay titignan namin kung naipit nila 'yung suspek doon sa likod ng kotse. That explains na binuksan agad ng tropa ko, at 'yung mga patay, iyon 'yung naglaglagan," Dumlao said.

"Kasi titignan kung yung biktima kailangan tignan kung andoon ang biktima kasi baka may tama para maitakbo sa ospital," he added.

Dumlao said there had been a miscommunication between the team that handled the delivery of ransom and the team that was looking for the safehouse. He said the AKG team for ransom delivery thought the victim was with the kidnappers who had gone to collect the ransom in the car.

Victim Anial Kumar Sohal was found in a safehouse in Pasay City the same day.

The three suspects were killed in the encounter in Biñan, Laguna: Inderjit Singh, also known as Manjit Singh or Goldy, an Indian national; an unidentified male Indian national; and Wilbert Ong, Filipino.

Wrong bag

On the report that the ransom money recovered by the SOCO was much smaller than the amount collected by the family, Dumlao said the person who gave the ransom to kidnappers told him that he unintentionally gave them the wrong bag.

The kidnappers were initially demanding P20 million in ransom.

"Sabi ng family sa kidnappers na P935,000 lang ang pera nila at kokolekta pa sila sa palengke dahil may lending business sila," Dumlao said.

"Ang sabi sa akin ng family communicator, yung nagdala ng pera, dahil na-rattle sila agad nang dumating 'yung kukuha ng ransom, ang nabigay niya ay 'yung nakolekta nila sa palengke at hindi 'yung bag na naglalaman ng P935,000," he added.

He said the family will face the media at Camp Crame Friday to explain the incident.

Dumlao said the police abides by the instructions of PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa to ensure that the ransom money will remain intact and will be returned to the family.

"Kami ayaw namin ng ganyan. Kabilin-bilinan ng PNP chief namin na kahit isang singko walang mawawala sa ransom," he said.

Police records

Dumlao said that Goldy had eight kidnapping charges against him and Ong two.

"Yung Goldy ay meron nang walong kidnapping cases at meron kaming mga records lahat 'yan. At meron din taped conversation doon sa negotiation. 'Yung Wilbert Ong, 'yung Filipino, ay kasama niya sa dalawang kaso ng kidnapping. Isa sa Rizal Province at ito ngayon 'yung latest," he said.

"Since 2005 may record kami na itong si Goldy may kaso na sa kidnapping talaga," he added.

Dumlao believes that Goldy and his group were connected with the kidnapping group earlier arrested in Nueva Ecija.

He said they are now looking for four other Filipinos and two Indians involved in Sohal's kidnapping. — BM, GMA News