GIRL SURVIVES ‘KIDNAP TRY’
"Victim" was with classmates outside Minglanilla Central School buying lunch when incident allegedly happened 18-year-old "suspect" denies the allegation, says he and his group were there to sell books, interactive materials
Minglanilla police will press charges against 6 who allegedly tried to pull a Grade 4 pupil into their van. Police questioned all 6, but they denied trying to grab the 10-year-old outside the public school she attended.
James Kevie Paradela admitted holding the hand of a 10-year-old fourth grader of the Minglanilla Central School around lunchtime last Thursday.
He asked her where he could buy guavas.
The girl's 12-year-old classmate Pia (not her real name) said the 18-year-old San Fernando native grabbed her forcefully.
Pia said they doubted him because no one sells guavas outside their school. Her classmate then bit Paredela's hand.
“Misiyagit siya og tabang (She shouted for help),” said Pia, who was accompanied by her mother at the police station yesterday.
The girl ran with Pia and two other classmates back to their school. They informed their teacher Ferlyn Fabroa about six persons, who were in a white van trying to kidnap them.
They were about to buy siomai when the alleged incident happened.
Fabroa reported the incident to police.
A team led by Supt. Dexter Calacar, Minglanilla police chief, found the white van parked outside a house, which Paradela and his companions are renting in Barangay Tuyan, Naga City at 9:30 p.m.
Police Regional Office 7 Director Noli Taliño told Calacar to coordinate with the Regional Anti-Kidnapping Group to look into the suspects' possible connections with syndicates involved in human trafficking.
Child abuse rap
Paradela, for his part, denied his group tried to kidnap the children, saying they went to the school to sell books and interactive materials.
He said they work as sales agents for a book distributor.
“If I wanted to kidnap her, why didn't I hold on to her? If my purpose was kidnapping, then she would already be with me. We're not interested in kidnapping children. Our work is legal,” he said in Cebuano.
Minglanilla Central School Principal Anita Basalo said the incident took place during their final exams. The school is on the municipal government's compound, which has five gates.
Paradela's mother defended her son, saying he is not involved in illegal activities
Calacar said they cannot file an "attempted kidnapping" complaint because that is not in the Revised Penal Code, which only punishes kidnapping. He said Paradela and his companions did not force the girl inside their van.
The official said they can only file a complaint of violating Republic Act (RA) 7610, or the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act, against Paradela; Rheamay Sagmon, 33; Estela Montes, 50; Marian Serenio, 19; Reymart Abobo, 20; and Fed- erico dela Cruz, 21.
Calacar said the girls were brought to the provincial social welfare office for stress debriefing.
RA 7610 defines child abuse as maltreatment of a minor, which includes “psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment” and “any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of a child as a human being.”
The law also punishes any person “who shall commit any other acts of child abuse, cruelty, or exploitation or to be responsible for other conditions prejudicial to the child's development.”
A tanod also brought a teenaged boy to the police station yesterday morning after the latter touched a boy outside the Tungkil Elementary School. The teen was released after investigators learned he is not part of Paradela's group.
Attempted kidnappings were also reported in Toledo City, Naga City, Lapu-Lapu City, Pinamungajan and Daanbantayan in the past weeks.