A man who allegedly attempted to abduct an 11-year-old girl in Barangay 905, Punta, Sta. Ana, Manila on Wednesday morning is now being linked to another victim earlier this month.
Authorities on Saturday said the suspect had already victimized an 8-year-old girl more than a week earlier in Barangay 336, Sta. Cruz, Manila.
CCTV footage showed the suspect, wearing a black hat and white shirt, crossing an alley alone before later appearing with the young girl.
The victim’s mother said her daughter had asked for money to buy snacks just a few meters from their home.
While at the store, the suspect allegedly called the child and told her he would return her mother’s flat iron, prompting the girl to accompany him.
However, upon reaching the corner of P. Guevarra and Quiricada Streets, the suspect allegedly took the child’s cellphone worth P8,000 and P1,000 in cash tucked inside its casing.
Speaking in Filipino, she said in an interview that around 3 p.m., she got worried when her daughter did not return from an errand.
“I messaged and called her, but her phone was no longer ringing. Whenever she’s just outside, it usually rings,” she recounted.
“I went to the store where she was supposed to buy snacks, but no one saw her there. Later, she came back and said, ‘Mama, sorry.’ I asked her what happened and where her purchase was. She said the man took it.”
Meanwhile, another parent recognized the suspect from a radio report that has gone viral, showing a similar incident in Sta. Ana.
He said that four years ago, the same man allegedly molested his child.
“The man said the mother owed him money. My child followed him. When they reached an alley, he touched her several times and grabbed her private part. When I was told by the other children, we missed each other — he turned right while I crossed,” the father said.
The victims’ families are calling on Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and the Manila Police District to immediately act on the suspect’s alleged crimes against young girls.
“I hope this is acted on immediately because this is not only happening to my child. He has the same pattern. When I tracked him near Recto, he was even entering houses there,” the parent added.