Police pursuing new leads on Lim kidnapping case
Police are following new developments on the alleged kidnapping of Filipino-Chinese businessman William Lim which could possibly lead to the identification and eventual arrest of the suspects.
As this developed, Mayor Jerry Treñas has ordered Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) Director Sr. Supt. Norlito Bautista to arrest the suspects as soon as possible. Treñas, however, gave no details on the identities of the suspects.
Treñas said Bautista informed him of new developments on the case which involves intelligence and operational matters. "There are new developments on the case but I don't have the liberty to divulge it as police operation might be hampered," he said.
Treñas said the Lim family remain uncooperative with the police. Yet, he said, there are other people who volunteered to give information which are essential to the resolution of the kidnapping case.
Lim was reportedly kidnapped August 29, 2006 by some six armed men while getting out of a fitness gym along Quezon Street. He was released in Barotac Nuevo after four days. Lim's family claimed they did not pay ransom to the kidnappers in exchange for William's release.
Atty. Noel Amane, Lim's lawyer said the suspects merely divested William of his personal belongings and small amount of money withdrawn from his automated teller machine (ATM) card.
Treñas said the immediate resolution of the alleged kidnapping case is so vital in the city's economy. As long as the case is not resolved, it will continue to create fear among the Filipino-Chinese businessmen in the city, he said.
Treñas said, maximum police visibility is currently in effect in order to allay the fears of the business sector for another kidnapping incident. Uniformed and plainclothes cops are fielded in the city's main thoroughfares.
Checkpoints are also implemented anywhere in the city particularly during nighttime. This will create inconvenience among the commuters but the public should understand, the mayor said.
"I ask for the understanding of all people in the operations being implemented by the police," he added.
Treñas also asked for the cooperation of the Filipino-Chinese community by immediately reporting to the police any threat against them.
Meanwhile, Treñas confirmed that the Iloilo City Police Office has no intelligence funds for its intelligence gathering operations in the city.
Trenas said he has already asked the budget office to allocate funds for the ICPO's intelligence fund. He gave no specific amount for the intelligence fund.
The intelligence fund is necessary in the intelligence work of a police unit. The fund is used to buy information from police assets, allowances of civilian agents and for the mobility of the asset and their police handlers.