Nursing student flees abductors in Cagayan

TUGUEGARAO CITY – A 20-year-old male nursing student of Cagayan Colleges here escaped from his captors in a remote southwestern town.

Police identified the kidnap victim as one Rufino Cabrera of Barangay Bassi, Solana town, whose July 16 escape led to the arrest of two of four suspects, one reportedly a cousin of the victim himself.

The arrested suspects were identified as Nestor Mallillin, the victim’s cousin and Leonardo Balubal, also of Solana town. The other two are still being hunted down.
Police said the suspects barged into the house of the victim around 8 p.m. on July 15, blindfolded him and then dragged him to a waiting vehicle.

They kept him at an abandoned school building in Barangay Talusay in Santo Niño town.

The suspects reportedly settled for a P1 million ransom when the victim escaped. He also recognized Mallillin as one of his kidnappers.

Senior Insp. Carlito Barsabal, Santo Niño police chief, said Cabrera freed himself while one of his captors guarding him was asleep.

He hit him on the head thrice with a club and later sought refuge with Santo Niño’s vice mayor. – CL