6 Chinese get 57 years for 2001 kidnapping in Philippines

Police clear the way as they escort six, in yellow, of the seven Chinese nationals convicted by a Manila court Thursday. AP

MANILA, Philippines—A Manila court sentenced six Chinese nationals to a maximum 57-year jail term after finding them guilty of kidnapping and car theft.

Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 52 Judge Antonio Rosales found Shi Jian Hui, Lim Jian Feng, Xu You Kwang, Wu Chang, Shi Chun Qi, and Zhang Xi Wang guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the September 27, 2001, kidnapping of Jacky Rowena Tiu.

In his 38-page joint decision for the kidnapping and car theft case against the accused, Rosales also ordered the Chinese nationals to indemnify, by way of exemplary damages, the victim with P100,000.

Another accused, Zhang Du, was found guilty as an accessory in the kidnapping and was dealt a prison term of a minimum of six years (prision correccional) to a maximum of eight years and a day (prision mayor medium).

Based on court records, Tiu was abducted in 2001, a few meters away from her home in San Fernando, La Union.

The kidnappers initially demanded US$2 million as ransom but eventually settled for P10 million.

After being held captive for eight days, Tiu was released unharmed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after her father paid the ransom. Within hours of her release, the seven Chinese suspects were arrested by combined police operatives from the Presidential Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER) and PNP Region 1.

The case passed through 10 judges in the course of the nine-year trial.