LAGAWE, Ifugao – Police authorities here ruled there was no actual kidnapping incident involving a 9-year old elementary pupil because the statements of the victims and the possible witness were not consistent.
Senior Superintendent John Colinio, director of the Ifugao provincial police office, said intelligence operatives responded to a reported kidnapping incident involving a pupil of the Patilong Elementary School at sitio Maluhpeng, Viewpoint, Banaue town over the past several weeks.
Based on the interviews acquired from the Barangay captain of Viewpoint Banaue, Roger Kindipan together with his Barangay council members, the victim and the witness, there is no attempted kidnapping made for the reason that the statements of the victim and the witness were not consistent.
After the incident, members of the PNP Ifugao conducted intelligence monitoring and checkpoints in all possible exits but such efforts turn out to be futile and in addition, there was no reported kidnapping incident in the Area of Responsibilities and adjacent provinces as of this time.
Furthermore, Ifugao PPO together with the barangay councils of Viewpoint Banaue, Ifugao believe that the victim and the witness accidentally hit the black van while playing stones along the road that prompted the driver to stop to confront them but due to their fear the victim and the witness misinterpreted it as an attempted kidnapping incident.
