In a shocking turn of events, a 14-year-old student from a Chinese school in Manila was abducted on a pedicab, and was scared in order for him to give his gadgets to his abductors.
He pretended to be a friend of the boy's father
According to the student, who is the son of a Mr. Cheng, he was met outside the school by one of the men, named Felipe Mesina. Mesina told the young man that he was a friend of his father's, and that when the student was still a child, he used to carry him around.
Soon after, the suspect took the student and made him ride a pedicab, which the suspect's son was driving. Mesina's son then took the boy and drove him around Manila for a number of hours, all the while threatening the boy into giving up his gadgets.
It was nighttime when the boy was finally set free. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt, and only his gadgets were taken by the suspects.
It's not the first time they did it
Mr. Cheng, hearing about what happened to his son, reported the case to the authorities, who then promptly checked the CCTV footage, and identified Felipe Mesina and his son as the suspects.
Once arrested, Mesina admitted to using his Filipino-Chinese heritage in order to gain the trust of students, and then abduct them, and scare them into giving away their gadgets. He added that it wasn't the first time that they did it, and that they've been targeting students for their crimes.
He shares, "Mahigit sampung beses ko na nagagawa, pero naman lahat estudyante."
However, he maintained that his son wasn't part of the modus operandi. The pair were charged with robbery with intimidation.
Authorities are also warning students to be wary when it comes to strangers, and if possible, not to bring any expensive gadgets or devices with them, which could potentially make them targets of thieves and other criminals.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
READ: The tragic truth behind the ‘kidnapped child in ice box’ story
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