Davao CCTVs fail to monitor fleeing kidnap gang due to wrong info

The remaining 10 members of the “Bye-Bye” kidnap-for-ransom-gang which evaded the authorities after a shoot-out in C.M. Rector Avenue Thursday may have already left the city, although no one knows for sure.

Two of the gang members were kicked on the spot outside Allied Bank while another one died on the way to the Southern Philippines Medical Center. The fourth member is now in the custody of the authorities but ten more are on the run and the authorities have no idea where they were headed after the shootout.

“Unfortunately the witness gave the people on the ground wrong information as to the description of the vehicles so our cameras were not able to monitor them,” Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) Chief, Retired P/Chief Superintendent Francisco Villaroman said during a press conference Thursday.

Villaroman said a CCTV was installed right in front of the area where the shootout happened. However, he said, “hindi pa nakakabit ang monitor when the incident happened so we cannot really see.”

He said the witness, who was still in shock after the incident, gave the wrong color and type of vehicle so the cameras nearby and along the way were not able to zero in on the appropriate getaway vehicle.

The authorities earlier asked the public to watch out for Montero vehicles with plate number FBU 1238. However, he said, the kidnappers are not stupid enough to use real plate numbers which the authorities can easily flag down during their trip from Manila to Davao.

“But Dabawenyos should not be scared because the kidnappers are actually based in Central Luzon and in Manila, not in Davao,” he said.

Villaroman said they have received a phone call asking for assistance but he did not elaborate on this, saying that giving away more information may warn the kidnappers. He also reiterated that the authorities are not allowed to conduct an illegal search so what they follow is the Plain View Doctrine.

The kidnap-for-ransom-gang was in Davao with their victim Sally Chua, to withdraw the P15-million ransom money from the bank but the authorities were able to intercept them.