IN RESPONSE to reports by the police claiming that the kidnapping of a student inside the Ateneo last week did not actually take place, the allegedly kidnapped student said in a short interview with The GUIDON that these police statements “aren’t accurate.”

Despite prior media reports and a statement from the Ateneo administration confirming that a student had been kidnapped, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Chief Superintendent Richard Albano said on December 4 that no such incident happened.

An article by GMA News Online quoted Albano saying, “[Walang] nangyaring kidnapping. Kuwento lang ‘yun nung bata (No kidnapping occurred. It was just a story the student told).” The police further said that they are considering a staged abduction angle.

Apart from denying the accuracy of the police reports, the student in question gave no further comments to The GUIDON.

She and her parents have already sent an official statement to their lawyers for reviewing. “We’re gonna let our statements do as much of the talking,” she said.

The kidnapping incident reportedly occurred on November 21 at around 6:00 to 6:30 PM in the North Car Park of the Ateneo.

Earlier reports said that the student was held up in her own car at around 6:30 PM by a group of men who “put her at the back seat and covered her face with a black bonnet.” There were also reports that a ransom of P250,000 was demanded from the student’s parents.

According to a memo released by the Office of the Vice President for Administration on December 2, the student was released “unharmed and no ransom was paid.”

No official report

No records regarding the incident could be found in QCPD Station 9, despite the Ateneo being under the jurisdiction of the said station.

Station 9 Police Non-Commissioned Officer Agustin Villanueva told The GUIDON that the alleged kidnapping incident should have been officially reported to them. However, he said they were not given any details about it.

According to Villanueva, they received a call from a source tipping them off about the incident inside the Ateneo on November 21. To verify the call, policemen went to the campus but were not permitted to enter.

“Pinilit naming pumasok, pero ayaw kaming papasukin ng security ng Ateneo (We tried to get inside [the campus], but we were not allowed by the security of the Ateneo), Villanueva said.

Megaforce Integrated Security Agency is currently providing security services to the Ateneo.

According to QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit Chief Inspector Rodelio Marcelo, the alleged kidnapping is already under the investigation of the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group.

Editor’s Note: The GUIDON is in the process of getting more information from the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group and the Vice President for Administration.