Chinese man jumps out of window, escapes kidnappers in Pampanga

Jumping out of a small window and onto the roof of a neighboring house, a 36-year-old Chinese man slipped past his Chinese abductors in a daring escape on New Year's Eve in San Simon, Pampanga.

According to an exclusive report Wednesday by Mariz Umali on 24 Oras, five men abducted the victim at 11 p.m. on Dec. 28 as he was walking home in Pasay City.

The kidnappers covered his head, forced him into a sedan, then took him to a hideout in San Simon town.

Every day during his captivity, the victim was beaten with a yantok (rattan stick) and suffered multiple injuries to his head, torso, hands, and buttocks.

Worse, his ordeal was captured on video and sent by the kidnappers to his family in China to demand ransom money.

"They started to beat [me]. [I] was handcuffed. Three kidnappers took turns to beat [me]," the victim narrated through an interpreter.

Ransom was initially set at ¥300,000, or P2.3 million, but was eventually lowered to ¥100,000 or nearly P800,000. However, his family was still unable to pay the kidnappers.

"The kidnappers actually recorded a video to get ransom from [my] family. Initially, [they] threatened [me that] they are going to sell [my] body organs. [My] mom, because of this incident, got hypertension, high blood pressure, and was hospitalized in China," the victim narrated through an interpreter.

At that point, the victim was already prepared to die. He told his sister to take care of their mother.

'50-50 chance'

On the morning of New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, the victim found a glimmer of hope and mustered the courage to break free from his captivity.

"He saw a small window, and he managed to release his hand from the handcuff. But initially, he was kind of scared. And the second time, he decided to escape," the interpreter narrated.

The victim said, "[I had] a 50-50 chance."

One of the kidnappers saw him, but he had already jumped out the window. A resident of the neighboring house where he landed helped him call the police.

Sophisticated weapons, luxury cars

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is currently investigating the incident and tracing the kidnappers' whereabouts.

"May persons of interest na tayo, may mga names na rin tayo na lumabas. So with that, we can see positive results sa mga darating na araw.... Chine-check natin, combination ito ng local at foreign nationals. Kidnapping, of course and physical injuries [ang mga puwedeng ikaso]," Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, PAOCC chief, said.

(We already have persons of interest, and we have uncovered some names. So with that, we can see positive results in the coming days.... We are now checking the combination of local and foreign nationals involved here. Charges of kidnapping and physical injuries can be filed.)

"Nakakatakot lang dito sa groupo nila, kumpleto na sila sa gamit. Hindi lang basta gamit, sophisticated ang weapons," said Cruz, adding that the kidnappers use luxury cars to create the impression that Very Important Persons (VIPs) are onboard instead of criminals and their victims.

(It's scary. They have complete equipment, with sophisticated weapons.)

Coordination is ongoing between the PAOCC and the Chinese Embassy in Manila to send the victim back home to China.

From January to November 2023, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported 25 kidnapping incidents.

During the same period, 66 foreigners have been found dead in Regions 3 and 4. Meanwhile, 31 suspects have been arrested. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/ VDV, GMA Integrated News