Chamber presses police for details

THE president of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Oro Chamber) has called on authorities to reveal what they know about the Boniao kidnapping case. Oro Chamber president Antonio Uy said the local business community heaved a sigh of relief over the release of businessman Manny Boniao last Saturday after five days in captivity.
"But what is the motive? That is a question we want the police to answer," Uy said. Uy also urged city police director Senior Supt. Gerardo Rosales to brief and tell the local business community the real story. He said businessmen want to know the city's security status. "Despite the release of Manny Boniao, we still advise our members to be more cautious, more vigilant, and shun away from public gatherings para malikay sa mga dautan," Uy said.

But reliable sources told The Gold Star Daily that the reason the police and even Mayor Vicente Emano have not given details is because they, too, are in the dark. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the sources said the police only learned of Boniao's release on Sunday morning. Boniao was released--and was allegedly brought home--on Saturday night.

Emano, according to the source, only came to know of Boniao's release while he was in a radio station for a public affairs program on Sunday morning. It was Rosales who informed the mayor.

The source said Emano then instructed Rosales to go to Boniao's house and ask for information. But Rosales, according to the source, failed to see Boniao who was said to be asleep.

The source said this explains why Emano could only give sketchy information and why he has been resorting to motherhood statements since Sunday.

"He (Emano) cannot divulge the details because he has nothing to divulge. None of them (officials) were involved. Only Boniao and the family were involved. You can say that Boniao was the victim and the negotiator at the same time," said the source. Another reliable source corroborated this, and said Boniao may have already left for Manila.

Rosales said he tried to call Boniao yesterday afternoon but failed. "No one's answering the call."

Rosales has admitted that the police were also searching for answers to important questions. He said authorities don't even know where Boniao had been taken by the kidnappers.
 
Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of the city's 2nd District said the police should identify, arrest and bring the kidnappers to court.

Councilor Alvin Calingin said police still need to explain how the kidnappers were able to take Boniao and bring him home just like that.The incident, according to Calingin, has put the city in a bad light. He said the police should explain why the kidnapping took place in the first place.

Calingin said the reported ransom payment--called payment for "board and lodging" by some officials--could encourage more kidnappers into operating in the city.

Councilor Ramon Tabor said, "‘Board and lodging' and ransom are the same thing."

Councilor Roger Abaday, a criminologist, said he feared there would be more kidnappings in the city after Boniao's abduction. He said the kidnappers have seen how profitable and easy it is to snatch businessmen in the city.

Abaday blamed the success of the Boniao kidnappers on what he called as poor intelligence network in the city.

He said police apparently lacked financial support for intelligence information gathering.

Councilor Edgar Cabanlas made an appeal to Mayor Emano: "Tell the truth." Cabanlas said Emano has failed to give the public correct information about the Boniao case.

He expressed alarm over several "high-profile crimes" committed in the city. He said the city council should be updated by the police.

"As elected officials of the city, we have the right to know what is happening in the city," he said.

Rosales, for his part, said Cabanlas should be specific.

"The police office is working diligently on the cases. We are doing our job," Rosales said.
 
Meanwhile, Councilor Alden Bacal said Emano was involved in the Boniao case since the day the businessman was kidnapped.

Bacal said Emano called for an executive meeting at around 11 am the day Boniao was abducted and odered the police to seal off all possible exit points. He said Emano did the same thing after Boniao's release and even directed the police to go after the kidnappers.

"It's not true that the mayor did not do anything," said Bacal. wtth reports from herbie gomez

By LITO RULONA, BOBBY LAGSA and ED MALIZA
Correspondents