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Husband of abducted Chinese woman in Makati now a person of interest —police


 

The husband of the Chinese woman who was allegedly abducted in Makati City on Monday is now being considered as a person of interest on the incident, police said on Wednesday.

According to Makati City Police Criminal Investigation Unit chief Police Major Gideon Ines, Zhou Mei’s husband, identified as Chen Tangbin, already gave his statements to authorities on Tuesday afternoon.

“Maraming kasinungalingan ang nakukuha natin doon sa asawa, mga inconsistencies doon sa tunay na nangyari, kaya siya ‘yung ating person of interest. Kasama ‘yung kaniyang kaibigan na maaaring nandoon din sa loob ng van,” Ines told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

“Doon din kami nagduda bakit noon lang siya pumunta sa pulis despite noong fact na mahaba ‘yung oras para pumunta sa pulis,” he added.

Inconsistent answers

Makati Police chief Colonel Rogelio Simon, for his part, noted that the victim's husband's answers to police questions had been inconsistent.

"There were some questions na ibinato namin sa kaniya. The same question inuulit-ulit namin, every time na sumasagot siya, may mga details na pabago-bago—'yung kaniyang location, kung nasaan siya during this time, at anong ginawa niya before nangyari, at 'yung certain time na kung nasaan siya," Simon said in Darlene Cay's report on Unang Balita.

"Mayroon siyang binabanggit na oras at lugar, at vinerify namin na wala siya doon."

Ines said Zhou’s husband had claimed that he had secured first his mother-in-law before going to the police as he feared that the abductors would also get his wife's mother.

Possible motives

Ines said the husband, who was reportedly unemployed, was "silent" when asked if he knew the possible abductors of his wife.

“Silent siya doon. Tinatanong din natin ‘yan kung maaaring kilala mo ba kung sino ang kumuha kasi casually lumapit naman ‘yung babae sa van bago siya nakuha then pagsakay niya parang gulat ‘yung babae na siya’y hinila na,” Ines said.

Ines further said authorities are investigating the personal life of the couple to determine other motives on the alleged abduction incident.

“Ang profile kasi nitong victim is a manager of an offline gaming company and then meron din siyang boss, ‘yun ‘yung may capability na magbibigay talaga,” he said.

“Maaaring pina-kidnap niya sa kaniyang mga kaibigan at hihingan ng pera ‘yung kaniyang boss. Kasi kikidnapin mo ‘yung biktima eh wala namang capability ‘yan para makapagbigay,” Ines said.

Not a suspect

Simon, however, said that a person of interest is not considered a suspect yet.

"'Yung concentration namin ngayon nasa kaniya because mayroong siyang mga details na malamang maibibigay sa amin that will lead to the resolution of the case," he said.

Earlier, police said the incident could not be considered as a kidnapping case as there was no demand yet for ransom.

Zhou was dragged inside a vehicle along Paseo De Roxas on Monday night by suspects who were believed to be Chinese nationals.

Kidnapping cases up

Meanwhile, police said they have already recorded 75 kidnapping cases this year, more than half of them involving Chinese nationals

A report in Unang Balita on Wednesday, citing information from Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jowel Saliba, said that of 75 kidnapping cases, 42 were linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) and casinos.

Of the total number, 27 cases were already resolved, leading to the arrest of 88 suspects.

POGO kidnapping usually involves Chinese employees who had ran away due to lack of proper compensation and benefits from employers. They are being abducted and forced to go back to work, according to the police. —with Dona Magsino/KBK, GMA News

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