A man ended up bruised after he was attacked by residents at Barangay 35 in Maypajo, Caloocan after he tried to kidnap two schoolchildren on Tuesday morning.
According to Mark Salazar’s report on “24 Oras”, a barangay tanod said the suspect claimed that he was just fetching his child outside of the school.
“Nung time na naka-duty ako, nagta-traffic, nakita ko na hinahatak niya yung bata, kaya lumapit ako. Nung tinatanong ko, sabi niya, anak niya raw po ‘yun, sinusundo niya raw po. Ngayon, nung tinanong ko yung bata, [ang sabi niya] ‘Hindi ko po tatay ‘yan, huwag niyo po ako ibigay’, yumakap po sa akin yung bata,” said barangay tanod Bernie Nacubuan.
(While I was on duty to man the traffic, I went to him after I saw him pulling the child. When I asked him, he said that he was his child and was just fetching him from school. But the child cried for help and hugged me tight.)
The parents of the two victims were surprised by what happened, especially since the school is just beside the barangay hall.
“Nakauwi pa po sa amin, umiiyak na may kumukuha daw sa kanya na hindi niya kilala. Mabuti na lang nakasigaw daw siya,” said Lorenzo De Guzman, father of one of the child.
“Nung kinausap ko po siya kanina, tulala siya. Sabi ko, ‘Ano ba ginawa sa’yo?’ Hinawakan daw siya rito, sabi niya hindi niya kilala, pumiglas siya, tumakbo na raw siya,” said Reggie del Mundo, the parent of the other child.
“Yung suspect po kanina, habang ini-interview siya, taga-Maynila, dumayo po. Okay naman po siya sumagot, ang sabi niya lang po sa amin kanina, nami-miss niya yung mga anak niya, parang mababaw na katwiran,” said barangay chairman Arnold Arenas.
(The suspect told us that he was from the City of Manila. He was answering us properly and told us that he just misses his children, which we find a very shallow reason.)
Meanwhile, Caloocan City Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan said in a statement that the suspect is a resident of Sta. Ana, Manila and initial investigation showed that he could be in an unstable mental state after he was left by his children and wife.
Malapitan added that the initial findings showed that the man had not eaten for several days and was detained last December for drug use.
The suspect has already undergone a booking procedure at Caloocan City Police’s Women and Children’s Desk. He will undergo an inquest on Wednesday for attempted kidnapping, the report said. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News
