Prominent businessman in Antique missing
‘He’s alive... wait for ransom demand,’ family told
SIBALOM, ANTIQUE – Lenten celebration in this quiet province was marred by a reported kidnapping of a prominent businessman here.
The incident occurred late evening of Holy Thursday by crossing Aldea, Barangay Odiong here. He remains missing as a widened search has been ordered by authorities with two angles now pursued by the province’s police force. (See related story)
The victim was identified by authorities and family members as 51 year-old James Ardaña of District III. He was in the company of his 55 year-old brother June on board the family’s Nissan Frontier and about a kilometer away from the family residence when forced to stop.
The News Today (TNT) reached the elder Ardaña who said that to date, he remains shocked and in fear over what happened. Everything was over in barely 5 minutes, he said, with three men, at least one he was certain was armed, forcefully took his brother. Another gagged and tied his hands behind his back with the attackers then fleeing with the victim on board one of the two single motorcycles serving as get-away.
His full account was reflected in the Sibalom PNP police blotter. The kidnapping, as June’s report went, occurred about 9:50 pm, minutes to the victim’s family residence. They had to stop, June told police, after seeing what appeared to be an accident. One man was lying in the middle of the road as two others flagged them down for “help.”
The victim was the one driving the Nissan Frontier and stopped, only to be purportedly ordered out at gunpoint. The “injured man” aided in the process, June continued, while he was forced to stay inside the vehicle, gagged and tied with a packing tape thereafter.
June said he managed to get out of the Nissan Frontier and asked for help from passing motorists. Several saw him, he said but did not stop until Bombo Antique Correspondent Paul Petinglay drove by with wife and his brother-in-law on board two separate single motorcycles.
Petinglay though worried of their safety decided to help and stopped. He took the gag and managed to record the ensuing tearful accounts of June. It was Petinglay who eventually called the police for help.
In between tears, the lone witness said his brother was kidnapped and narrated the mis-events.
Petinglay in an interview told TNT that June was inconsolable, crying and wailing for help as the police came to take-over. June at the height of his ordeal and nervousness relieved himself thus drenched with urine. It was a surreal sight, Petinglay said of that experience as they then proceeded to inform the victim’s wife and children.
A member of the Sibalom Police Force has been assigned to stay with the victim’s family pending the investigation and case follow-up. Yet TNT learned yesterday that a family request was made to give up that police protection thus baffling the police higher-ups here.
The 51 year-old victim is a father of three and husband to a government worker. He stands as the most prominent and successful businessman here with wide and varied family business interests.
The family is involved in rice trading, sale of farm chemicals, construction and electrical supplies, fertilizers and feeds. It was business as usual yesterday for the Ardaña siblings with the eldest daughter asking for media to back-off on their father’s case.
The police meantime are tying loose ends in order to come up with a solid kidnapping account and case. The Sibalom Police Office is headed by Inspector Abelardo Cabrela who has since tasked his entire police force to work on the Ardaña case.
Incidentally, the victim was named respondent in a case involving a minor. Docketed as I-INV – 09-C-00051, TNT learned that police probers are looking into the possibility of a connection here.