PNP rules out ‘kidnap’of 56 females in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY September 16 – Police authorities here ruled out kidnapping as the reported reason behind the 56 females aged 12 to 25 who were reported missing by their respective families from January to the present.

Based on the records of the women and children protection center of the Baguio City Police Office, it was uncovered that only 11 of the reported missing females are not yet reunited with their parents or guardians, thus, the reason for their sudden disappearance is not in any way related to kidnapping or abduction in the city.

Senior Supt. David Q. Lacdan, BCPO city director, said most of them run way from home or eloped with their lovers and some of the reported missing persons were tourists.

From January to the present, BCPO only recorded one kidnapping incident where the individuals were allegedly abducted in Metro Manila but were recovered in this mountain resort city, thus, there is no clear connection of the incident to the missing females.

Moreover, Lacdan explained the 11 females reportedly reunited with their families earlier but they again ran away from their families for still undisclosed reasons.

Investigation showed the most common reasons why the children run away from home are peer influence, broken family or serious family problems, parents lack time to spend with their children which deprives them the need for love and belongingness thereby resulting to them staying with their peers where they find love and belongingness and some elope with their lovers.

According to Lacdan, the BCPO is exerting all efforts in performing their duties and responsibilities to maintain peace and order through the conduct of routine mobile and foot patrols as well as curfew for minors.

“We are also responsive to reports of missing persons wherein we pass the vital information and alarm to all units immediately for possible location of the missing persons,” he stressed.

The BCPO official emphasized it is unfair for some quarters to conclude that the 56 reported missing females since the start of the year was due to the presence of a syndicate involved in the abduction of minors in the city, saying that such syndicate does not exist and the reports on the missing children are purely missing and not connected with kidnapping.

Lacdan reminded parents to be more responsible in caring for their children and that they must be the ones protecting and guiding them because discipline and character building starts at home and within their families.

He admitted the police cannot guard and secure each and every youth in the city considering that comparing the total number of policemen of the city with its population, one policeman is guarding 1,380 persons during the day while one policeman is guarding 1,279 persons at night.

However, the aforesaid number does not include the transients and tourists visiting the city daily, thus, it is impossible that the police will be able to secure each youth and it is even more impossible to control the thinking and decision-making of today’s youth and it boils down to the responsibility of the parents over their children. -- Dexter A. See