By Aaron Recuenco
Who’s afraid of police and airport authorities?
Apparently not eight Chinese men who tried to pull off a daring kidnapping attempt on their own compatriot at the waiting area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Col. Jonnel Estomo, director of the PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), said the eight Chinese and their alleged Filipino cohort, identified as 44-year old Jesus Solinap, Jr. was collared by responding policemen who spotted the suspects trying to force their victim into a car at the Bay 14 of NAIA Terminal 3.
Nabbed were Xin Zao, 27; Changlin Pang, 23; Yugi Cheng, 20; Shing Ke Zang, 20; Huan Liu, 27; Shao Ling Nie, 23; Yuhang Huang 23; and Siguo Gan, 27. They are all temporary residents in Libis, Quezon City.
Estomo said the case stemmed from the request for assistance of airport securities about a group of Chinese men trying to abduct another Chinese person, who was later identified as Zhou Zeng Lin.
According to Lin, he was at the NAIA on Friday morning to collect money from Zao Xin as payment for visa and escort fee. He was then instructed to the bay 14 of the NAIA Terminal 3.
But while waiting in the area, a white Toyota Rush arrived and one of them tried to grab him and drag him inside the vehicle.
The incident caused panic among other passengers and people at the airport, especially when the victim resisted and tried to keep himself from being dragged into the vehicle by holding on to a steel railing.
It was at this point that the police arrived and arrested of the suspects.
But the suspects allegedly tried to ignore the cops and tried to resist arrest.
Estomo said cases of kidnapping, alarm and scandal and resistance and disobedience to persons in authorities were immediately slapped against the arrested suspects.
The Philippine National Police-Anti Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) earlier reported that it recorded a steep rise in cases of casino-related kidnappings, with almost all the victims and the arrested suspects reported as Chinese.
The AKG noted that the rise in kidnapping cases can be attributed to the increase of Chinese population in the Philippines with the opening of a number of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation in the country.