SAN JUAN, Abra – A 14-year old boy was rescued from his abductors by combined police and anti-kidnapping operatives while his three kidnappers were killed in a rescue operations at their hideout in barangay Silet here around 2:30 Tuesday morning
Senior Superintendent Albertlito S. Garcia, director of the Abra Provincial Police Office, identified the slain kidnappers as Delmar Hilario, a native of barangay Manalpac, Solsona, Ilocos Norte and Edward and Edison Salvador, father and son, and natives of barangay Tangadan, San Quintin, Abra.
“The 14-year old kidnap victim is now undergoing debriefing with concerned experts prior to his being turned over to his family in Paniqui, Tarlac. He had been in captivity for over 5 days prior to his rescue from his abductors,” Garcia said.
Initial police investigation showed the young boy and his mother were kidnapped by still unidentified armed individuals in Paniqui, Tarlac last December 28, 2014.
However, on February 9, 2015, their abductors released his mother in order to raise a still-undisclosed ransom money for them to release her son unhurt.
Garcia said the mother immediately sought the assistance of law enforcers who planned the rescue operations that successfully pushed through early Tuesday morning.
The operating government forces included members from the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG), Special Action Force, Regional Intelligence Office (RIO) 14 led by Superintendent Cesar Pasiwen, Military Intelligence Group (MIG) 1, Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), Abra Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC), Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera and San Juan Municipal Police Station.
Garcia disclosed recovered from the possession of the slain kidnappers were 1 caliber .9mm; 1 caliber .38 revolver; 1 ingram sub-machinegun as well and 1 homemade gauge 12 shotgun (pistolized).
He cited the recovered firearms are now under the custody of the Scene Of The Crime Operatives (SOCO) for Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS) to ascertain the owners of the firearms.
Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin commended the successful anti-kidnapping operations in the province, saying that local officials do not tolerate wanted individuals from hiding in the province considering that it is against their sustained peace and order initiatives.
“We are elated that the recent anti-kidnapping operation in the province was successful. We want to send information that we do not coddle criminals who seek haven in our province. We want to sustain the momentum of our peace and order initiatives,” Bersamin said.
The remains of the slain kidnappers are lodged at a local funeral parlor in the capital town of Bangued awaiting their relatives who are authorized to claim them and given them a decent wake and burial.
Bersamin challenged concerned law enforcement agencies to intensify their anti-criminality operations province-wide in order to neutralize the presence of wanted individuals who seek haven in remote villages, saying that the arrest of hardened criminals hiding in the province will greatly contribute in making Abra peaceful and orderly.