Suspected kidnappers shot dead by Davao cops

Members of Davao City Police cordon off a portion of downtown Claveria Street where two suspected members of a kidnap-for-ransom group inside this parked white Mitsubishi Montero vehicle were killed by authorities at around 12 noon Thursday. (www.davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)

The bodies of the two were recovered inside a Mitsubishi Montero Sport vehicle parked in front of Allied Bank in Claveria Street.

By JOHN RIZLE L. SALIGUMBA
Davao Today

DAVAO CITY – Operatives of the Davao City Police Office killed two and wounded one of the four members of an alleged kidnap-for-ransom group in downtown Claveria Street around 12 noon Thursday.

The bodies of the two were recovered inside a Mitsubishi Montero Sport vehicle parked in front of Allied Bank in Claveria Street.

Davao City Police Office Chief Ronald Dela Rosa said that the four traveled to Davao City from Manila with kidnap victim Sally Chua to withdraw the supposed ransom money amounting to PHP15 M from the said bank.

“One of the suspects accompanied the victim to withdraw the ransom. We grabbed the victim and neutralized the escort,” said Dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa said the four are part of a 14-man group riding in three luxury vehicles. The other members riding in the two other vehicles escaped. One of them allegedly is a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“They come from different places. They are Waray, Tagalog but they all understand Bisaya. We see a military ring but we cannot say for certain if the one who owns it is a former member or an active member,” Dela Rosa said.

City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, in a phone conversation with Dela Rosa, said he has a standing shoot-to-kill order against all criminals in the city.

With regards to the suspects who escaped, Dela Rosa said they are under pursuit.

“They sped off in disarray,” Dela Rosa said.

Davao City, among other areas in Western and Eastern Mindanao, has been included in a recent advisory from Canada, Australia and the US warning of terrorist and kidnap-for-ransom threats. (John Rizle L. Saligumba, Davao Today)