17-year-old kidnap victim from Laguna, made to sell sampaguita in QC

A 17-year-old girl said she was kidnapped from Biñan, Laguna and made to sell sampaguita in Quezon City, according to a "24 Oras" report by Susan Enriquez.

Last Monday, the victim, identified as "Mai-Mai (not her real name)" encountered three armed men along Capinpin Street in Biñan. She entered the van because she became afraid of them.

"Hindi naman po nila ako sinesenyasan... na sinasabihan. 'Yung parang mata lang po 'yung nagsasalita na pumasok daw po ako doon. Kaya pumasok po ako kasi natakot po ako," she said crying.

Mai-mai said she was held inside the van with two other girls and a boy.

She added that the abductors ran a blade on their back to keep them from fighting back.

They were reportedly taken to a marketplace in Quezon City where they were told to sell sampaguita.

From there, she found an opportunity to escape and boarded a bus to a nearby mall where she asked a relative to pick her up.

"Magbenta lang daw po kami ng sampaguita doon. Ta's 'yun po. Habang nag-aantay po ako doon, hindi po ako nagbebenta. Nakatayo lang po ako kasi natakot po ako. Nag-aantay po ako ng bus na dumaraan doon. Tumitingin-tingin po ako pero doon na nagdadalawang isip na po kung sasakay ako kasi natatakot din po ako," she said.

Mai-Mai's mother said her daughter is traumatized by the incident.

The victim's aunt said she found her niece crying hard while holding a sampaguita lei.

"Iyak daw po ng iyak tapos nanginginig daw po. Tapos parang gutom na gutom, sabi ng ate ko," the mother said.

An investigation is being conducted by the police.

"Since (inaudible) until now, wala pa siyang attendance sa school and then 'yun pong ganoong instance, mayroon na pong kaunting inconsistencies, but we are not discounting the possibility noong incident," Police Inspector Mark Rabanal, deputy chief of Biñan Police, said. — Margarita Claire Layug/BAP, GMA News