CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO) has intensified its investigation to arrest the suspects in a kidnapping incident that recently took place at Lorry Park Port Area, Corrales Extension, Barangay Puntod in this city, the police spokesperson said on Thursday night, May 26.
Maj. Evan Viñas, the COCPO spokesperson, in an interview, said they already identified the four suspects who are now the subjects of follow-up operations for their immediate arrest.
Earlier, police personnel of Macabalan Police Station 5 had arrested one of the suspects in the kidnapping incident on May 21.
The COCPO identified the arrested suspect as Mariam Lobiano Macapanton, 39, of Tubod, Iligan City, who was positively identified by the kidnap victim Gay Roxane Militar, a real estate broker, 45 of Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.
The suspect had been arrested at Lorry Park Port Area, Corrales Extension, Barangay Puntod, where she temporarily resides.
Viñas said that the suspects mistakenly identified the said victim as their target due to the same name. The victim had been abandoned after the suspects knew that they held the wrong target.
“It is a mistaken identity. The victim has the same name as the suspects’ target. After they confirmed that they held the wrong target, they abandoned the victim,” Viñas said in vernacular.
Due to the traumatic experience, Militar, the victim, decided to report the incident to the police, which resulted in the arrest of one of the suspects and the identification of the other suspects who are at large.
Macapanton is currently detained at the custodial facility of Macabalan Police Station 5. The COCPO said the suspect signed a waiver for her to submit a counter affidavit.
Viñas urged the public to immediately coordinate with the police authorities if they received information that would lead to the arrest of other suspects.
“COCPO is urging the public, especially those individuals who have a direct knowledge pertaining to the whereabouts of suspects who are still on their liberty as of this report to coordinate with the police and work with them in behalf of the victim so that justice will be served the soonest time,” said Viñas.