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A file photo of a person with their hands tied.
STAR / File
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of rape and sexual assault
MANILA, Philippines — Police authorities have apprehended three Chinese nationals accused of kidnapping and raping a Vietnamese woman in Makati City. The suspects reportedly demanded P1 million from her husband in Vietnam for her release.
After receiving a kidnapping-for-ransom complaint around midnight on Friday, June 6, Makati police promptly conducted a search and rescue operation for a 33-year-old Vietnamese woman.
The three suspects were identified as Lei (32), Xing (33) and Zhou (38). They were tracked down and arrested at a condominium unit in Barangay San Lorenzo, Makati and are now temporarily detained at the Makati City Police Station while charges are being prepared.
The police also revealed that Lei has three ongoing murder cases and three more cases related to illegal firearm possession, on top of charges of kidnapping and carnapping.
How the crime, arrest unfolded
Police Colonel Jean Dela Torre, acting chief of Makati police, said during a press briefing that the suspects demanded 500 million Vietnamese dong (P1 million) from the victim’s husband and threatened to sever her finger if he refused to pay.
The husband immediately reached out to his wife’s friend in the Philippines, who alerted authorities.
Upon interviewing the victim, Dela Torre said the suspects abducted and took the Vietnamese tourist to a condo in Makati where she was sexually assaulted. This happened after she met a friend in Bel-Air on June 2.
She was later brought to Tagaytay, where further abuse was reported, including being drugged and raped once again. Returning to Makati, the suspects then demanded ransom from her husband.
Dela Torre said a Filipino woman, reportedly dating one of the suspects, was also in the unit where the victim was found. She was sent to speak with authorities outside the room, which the police presumed was done to avoid drawing suspicion.
The police questioned the Filipino woman and confirmed there was another woman in the room. As she tried to return, the unit was already locked.
After a second attempt to make contact, officers heard what sounded like the suspects arming themselves. Reinforcements were requested, and SWAT and TMRU units were deployed within three minutes, securing the area.
Firearms, drugs retrieved
The police recovered multiple firearms and illegal drugs from the unit. These include:
- a 9mm Taurus pistol with a suppressor
- one 9mm magazine
- five 9mm rounds
- a .22 Jennings pistol with a suppressor
- a .22 caliber magazine
- five .22 caliber rounds
- six sachets of suspected shabu (crystal methamphetamine)
- one large sachet of shabu (20 grams) worth P136,800
- one small bottle of suspected liquid ecstasy
They also found a pair of handcuffs, counterfeit money, one silver gray Hyundai Starex, six car keys, two cellphones, drug paraphernalia, disposable lighters and a beige box.
Dela Torre praised the police for their quick action on the complaint, particularly as all suspects and victims are safe and stable.
“Walang untoward incident. Nagawan natin nang maayos ang execution,” she said. (There were no untoward incidents. The execution was carried out smoothly.)
The acting city police chief stressed the need for real-time communication and coordinated action during emergencies, in line with the new directive mandating a 3-minute response time.
