Cebu dev’t worker told father abductors said they were police

One of the two development workers who were allegedly abducted last January 9 in Cebu City and later freed told her father that the supposed culprits were the police.

In a video that went viral, Armand Dayoha and Dyan Gumanao were seen being forced to get inside a vehicle near Pier 6 in Cebu City last January 10 at around 9 a.m., according to Allan Domingo’s GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak report which aired on “24 Oras” on Tuesday.

Danilo Gumanao, father of Dyan, said that her daughter told him that those who abducted them presented themselves as police.

“Yung sinapit nina Diane at Armand sobrang masakit. Paano ba ang mga polisiya ng gobyerno? Kasi nagpakilala yung mga dumukot sa kanila na pulis sila. Ano ba yung batas? Kung nakita naman nila na nag-violate ang mga bata, kung may kasalanan man sila, meron tayong rule of law. Bakit hindi sila arestuhin at sampahan ng kaso,” Danilo said.

“Kahit kasama na namin siya ngayon, masaya, malungkot, at may galit pa rin kaming nararamdaman,” he added.

The victims are currently undergoing medical intervention after the incident.

The Police Regional Office 7 said it is investigating the incident.

“The instruction of RD na mag-reach out sa family and sa dalawa para they could narrate then we are going to file charges if identified ang perpetrators, if there was really abduction,” Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, Police Regional 7 spokesperson, said.

The police said they don’t want to call it an abduction yet because the video still needs to be validated.

Asked if the Philippine National Police (PNP) will secure the safety of the victims, Pelare said “Of course. The instruction of PRO7 is to really to solve this case. We are taking this case highly, very important and very urgent to solve but we need cooperation of both parties. We will assure them they are safe.”

“Sa allegation na mga pulis po ang involved dito, kasama po 'yan at bahagi po 'yan ng ating gagawing investigaton,” PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it will also help to solve the case.

“[The] National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Basta mayroong kayong notice we will inform them. I can ask the NBI in Cebu to look at the matter,” DOJ secretary Boying Remulla said.

The Cebu Port Authority said it is also checking their CCTV footage in ports and vowed to cooperate in the investigation.

The relatives of the victims expressed dismay over the alleged lack of action by government agencies on the incident which happened in broad daylight.

The human rights group Karapatan said Dayoha and Gumanao were forcibly taken away by the unidentified men despite resisting. 

“Ibinlindfold sila, inikot-ikot sila, ngunit definitely, dinala sila somewhere else, hindi sa lugar na kung saan sila namin nakuha,” Dennis Abarientos, Karapatan Central Visayas spokesman, said.

The group reported the incident to the authorities.

The two workers were reportedly found five days later in Carmen, Cebu, which is 41 kilometers from Cebu city.

The parents of the abducted workers said that they were released after the video went viral.—Richa Noriega/LDF, GMA Integrated News