The Chinese woman, who was abducted by four men last week, will be compelled to give her statement detailing the incident despite her decision not to pursue charges against her kidnappers, a Makati police officer said Tuesday.
Major Gideon Ines Jr., Makati Police Investigation Unit chief, confirmed that the victim, Zhou Mei, a POGO area manager, returned to her family on Monday after she was released by her abductors.
However, Mei’s husband, Chen Tangbin, texted Ines, telling him that they will no longer pursue charges against those who abducted his wife for the safety of their family.
But the police official said the woman still needs to give her affidavit in order for the investigators to know what really happened to her.
“She needs to give her affidavit or else we will compel her to do so. We are now coordinating with the Chinese Embassy,” Ines said.
“The Chinese Embassy also wants to know what really happened to Mei. They said that they will do everything in their power to compel Mei and her husband,” he added.
On December 9, Mei was snatched by four Chinese men aboard a Chrysler van along Paseo de Rozas in Barangay San Lorenzo, Makati
“After the husband texted me yesterday that his wife has returned to their condo, we went to their condo but they declined to meet us. They are citing their privacy,” Ines said.
“To confirm if Mei has really returned, we talked to the guard of the condo and he confirmed to us that she is now back. He showed to us the CCTV footage showing her entering the lobby, as well as the log book,” he added.
Tangbin later told the chief investigator that they would go to the police station along with their lawyer on Monday.
“I was waiting for them the whole day, but they did not show up,” Ines said.
Then, Tangbin texted Ines that they will no longer file charges against his wife’s kidnappers, citing safety reason.
Ines believes that the victim and her family are being threatened by those behind her abduction.
On Sunday, Ines disclosed that they have identified four suspects behind the kidnapping. They are Song Xifei, Guo Ebin, Zhang Xipeng, and Guo Wanshun.
It can be recalled that the husband of Mei told cops that those who abducted her were asking him to pay P60 million in exchange for her liberty.
Because of his inconsistent statements, Tangbin was tagged by the Makati Police as a person of interest.
Meanwhile, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) spokesman Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin on Tuesday told reporters that a high-level Chinese delegation visited NBI last December 12 following the kidnapping of Mei.
“It’s making a lot of news in China that is why they had to come here,” said Lavin about the kidnapping incident in Makati City.
Lavin added that the Chinese officials were also concerned about the rise in the crimes involving Chinese nationals in the Philippines. (Jel Santos, Jeffrey Damicog)
