Kidnapped.
By eileenleyva
@eileenleyva (27560)
Philippines
October 5, 2012 3:29pm CST
Please be careful, a boy was kidnapped 18 Sept, at Greenhills, were he went to get a haircut. Soon he called his father Mau, who was then summoned by the kidnappers to come so he could withdraw money from the bank. Mau was ushered into a van (bearing CASA plates) with four people inside, wearing caps and shades. Mau's eyes were covered with bean bags, and he was told they know everything about his family, including where his children go to school and where he works. Thus Mau obeyed instructions, what is strange is that there was nary a security guard at the bank, and the bank personnel did not question the big amount of withdrawal. He was driven around while he waited for his mother to deposit money in his ATM account, which he withdrew also for the kidnappers. The kidnap for ransom all took but six hours.
3 people like this
18 responses
@anne25penn (3305)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
My brother worked for a local bank and if the client is a well to do client, meaning that it isn't unusual for them to make big deposits or withdrawals, they don't question it especially if it's the account holder doing the transaction. The sad thing is that that person should have contacted the authorities or the bank personnel about the incident.
The crime rate in the Metro is on the rise given that it's near Christmas and people have money. I was in Greenhills a week ago and I can say that because the mall is really crowded, security seems to be a bit lax. I wanted to browse the shops but couldn't bear the elbowing and bumping of people around me. We all just have to be extra careful these days.
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
He couldn't contact authorities, nor ask help from the bank personnel, his boy was with the kidnappers still.
I have not been to Greenhills for a decade now, and what you say about the elbowing and the crowd could really be a good scenario for kidnapping. Am really sorry the kids are targets for these crimes.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
8 Oct 12
I think if criminals are wiser then we should be wiser as well. instead of going for the coolest barbershop which is far away, they should go for the nearer one that is closest to Police visibility. yeah even kids are targetted now a day, am actually more look out now specially i went to the mall today
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
6 Oct 12
From what I read, kidnapping is a very comprehensive planned crime which is the reason for its high success rated crime. It is also a crime which is most of the time an insider job and could include victims' family members.
This is one of the reasons how this case took such a short time and at an alarming speed. I would not be surprise that this may involve a very close family member who has a deep understanding of the victim's family.
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
Wow, that ideas is certainly one I would not wish on anyone of us. Family is family, and even for a number of reasons we disagree about, family must never be taken as just another business deal. Sigh.
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
6 Oct 12
How evil to terrorize this family!
I see why in the bible, in the book of revelation, why there is a bottomless pit.. this abyss is in the human being, we can go so low!! Thank God there is the promise of a new heavens and anew earth wherein rightness will abide! That's all I can say, these evils of this world are so shocking.
I see why in the bible, in the book of revelation, why there is a bottomless pit.. this abyss is in the human being, we can go so low!! Thank God there is the promise of a new heavens and anew earth wherein rightness will abide! That's all I can say, these evils of this world are so shocking.@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
We must always be on guard, and call on God for protection each day.
@rog0322 (2829)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
6 Oct 12
Hi,
This is one prime example of the inability of the people who are supposed to protect us from being victims of our own folly. He should have exercised extra caution. I wonder about people who are intelligent enough to raise a lot of money and being able to defend for it by even buying a knife to do so. I also suspect there's someone behind this case, somebody who should be doing his duty and has done exactly the opposite.
I should pack a .45 caliber pistol when my money reaches a million. It won't matter if I have only nine hundred thirty thousand left after buying one, at least, I can have it for a much longer time. Relying on the "authorities" to serve and protect me is pure crap and they should shove it down their throats where the sun doesn't shine.
1 person likes this
@pahak627 (4558)
• Philippines
5 Oct 12
I wonder why bank personnel should ask about the big withdrawal. Is there a need for bank personnel to question? It was the depositor's money after all. I'm sorry for this but I guess they are already used to Mau withdrawing big amounts of money from his account.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
5 Oct 12
That's standard precautionary measure, bank has prerogative to ask, to avoid money laundering.
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
5 Oct 12
That was the first time he withdrew a huge amount. And as per protection also, one can withdraw only a certain amount per transaction, not unless the bank was advised beforehand. Payments now are made through checks, or online, so my banker virtual friend told me, and via machine, it has got to be 20k only. That withdrawal was questionable.
@mrsuniega (786)
• Philippines
6 Oct 12
this is so alarming, there are a lot of criminals out there waiting for the right moment to do their modus. For this matter I think the kidnappers knew the family very well. NBI and DOJ says that there should be " No Ransom Policy" I guess the family didn't not inform the authorities. but why?
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
According to the story, when Mau received the call from his son and told him that he was kidnapped, Mau panicked. The kidnappers took the boys cellphone from then on and gave instructions about what Mau should do next. Mau did not contact police because he worried about his son and his family, the kidnappers knew where they were.
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
6 Oct 12
that's strange to me, too. we hear and read about it on tv and the newspapers so it's not exactly "new" so i'm puzzled why the family did not do that so an entrapment could have been done.
1 person likes this
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
6 Oct 12
That is a scary thing to have happened to them. I am assuming that they let both of them go once they got the money that they were wanting. If the bank didn't question him, then they must have seen him withdraw large sums of money or he had a lot of money in there and so it was not any concern.
@jencai (3412)
• Philippines
6 Oct 12
That's scary. I'm afraid to be kidnapped even though we're not that rich, we're just ordinary people in our community. We should be careful and sensitive in our surrounding. Those kind of criminals should be put into jail. They should learn they lesson.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
Even ordinary people are not spared from crime these days. The husband of my neighbor was shot all because her wouldn't give his cellphone to a holdapper.
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
Tell your boy to change barber shops every now and then, for security purposes. The age of the boy was not divulged in the story.
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
6 Oct 12
I think it would all depend on the amount of money. Less than a million, and I don't think it would cause alarm to any teller, especially if the balance in the account is twice the amount withdrawn. It would however be alarming if the withdrawn amount is the whole balance amount. That's usually the time tellers sort of inquire why. As for the ATM withdrawal, well, they have maximum allowable withdrawals per day, and that's around 50,000 I think, so that wouldn't be an issue. The absence of guards though is another story. If it's during banking hours, there should be guards inside and outside of the bank.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
I also find some of the circumstances strange. I accompanied a friend to a bank once and she was supposed to issue a check for a downpayment for a car, the manager inquired what the huge amount was for, and there were documents she had to fill. A friend who works in a bank tells me 20 k is usually the max for an ATM withdrawal.
@kingparker (9673)
• United States
6 Oct 12
So you suspect that is an organized crime, some one who set this up perfectly and they truly knew about this family and connect all the people as you mention those bank staff too? Why not call the police forces or upper level to investigate such matter. Sounds so serious. That should be publish in newspaper and people should know about it.
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
I think the family is still shaken, and the story was shared on facebook. Am sure the police had been alerted by now.
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
Okay, I am not saying the bank has something to do with it, but when an investigation is conducted, that possibility could not be discounted.
@ardoy0731 (7308)
• Philippines
6 Oct 12
That was really scary and alarming that criminals are really just around.We can't really tell what's gonna happen in a certain place, are we safe in that place.
Criminals are really around the corner and will attack if opportunity comes.We really have to be alert and aware all the time cause we cannot really tell what will happened once we go outside.
Police and authorities should really be increase and visible all over the place so they could protect people from this heartless and no conscience criminals.
Be safe everyone.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
The Greenhills area is a place for the rich, and I think they have security precautions secured, including CCTV's. But this one is a new modus operandi, that is why we should warn the children not to go by themselves, we do not know what's out there.
@bjc66bjc (6730)
• United States
6 Oct 12
Wow, those are stories that we read about or see on the news,
but normally not something that happen in your town...Thats
scary and I truly hope first the little boy is safely returned
to his family safe and unharmed...and second I hope they catch
those criminals....
Have a great weekend!!!!!
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
It was the grandmother who shared their family ordeal on facebook. She had to warn everyone, so this would not happen again.
@dorisday1971 (5657)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
Banks do have security guards.
It is unusual for a bank to have no security especially that they are dealing with money.
Don't tell me the bank don't have security cameras too...
@maygodblessu44 (7336)
• India
16 Oct 12
Hello my friend eileenleyva Ji,
Well, first of all I wish culprits must have been traced and put behind bars. Every such crime has closed relations/friends circle responsible. Every such crimes gives sufficient hints earlier. We as a responsible parents have to be careful in our dealings. There could jelousy maximum for such crimes.i wish taht boy must have been united to his parents.
May God bless You and have a great time 
1 person likes this
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
8 Oct 12
Hello eileenleyva, I guess i am lucky to have a commercial neighborhood filled with beauty parlors and barbershops. there's a lot of them here that i didn't need to go far. this is a lesson for me, I won't bring any debit card when ever i go because this might be another way of luring me into a bait by some criminal. thank you for your information regarding this.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
9 Oct 12
I think that parents always need to be very careful when it comes to their children, whether the children that we are talking about are very young children or whether they are teenagers.
I believe that if parents were more vigilant about what is going on with their children that terrible things like this would be less likely to happen.
I don't think that kidnappings can be completely eliminated, but I do believe that it can be made a less frequent occurance.
1 person likes this
