Cebu student accused of faking own kidnapping faces raps

A student in Cebu City allegedly staged her own kidnapping after she ran into financial trouble at school, according to a report by GMA News stringer Chona Carreon on Balita Pilipinas on Wednesday.

Cabron Police discovered the deception when they found the student at the town of Liloan on Monday evening, the same day the student's parents reported her disappearance to the police.

The student, who was not identified in the report, reportedly texted her family on Monday morning asking for help, claiming she was kidnapped by five men.

"Nawawala ang signal, ate. Ate tulungan ninyo ako hindi ko alam kung nasaang lugar ako," the message read.

Her family also found messages by the supposed kidnappers on her Facebook account where they threatened to kill the student if the family does not stop searching for the student.

Police found the student in a follow-up operation later that day in Liloan, unharmed and without any sign of abuse.

It was then that they discovered that the student tried to trick her family after she spent P4,000 her school dean entrusted to her. The student reportedly works at the school she is enrolled in.

"Itong pangyayaring ito hindi ito abduction bagkus ay personal ito. Ginawa niya ito para maitago ang kanyang problema sa pera na kanyang nagamit," Cabron Police Station head Chief Inspector Jacinto Mandal Jr. said.

Though the student was allowed to return to her family, police will file complaints against her for the deception.

"Sasampolan natin siya because this is an order from our Regional and City Director. We will file appropriate charges kung makita natin na mayroon tayong sapat na ebidensya," Mandal said. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News