The persons arrested for allegedly trying to kidnap four schoolchildren in Minglanilla town last March 16 will have time to answer the charges to be filed against them, but the incident awoke bad memories of the kidnap-murder of Ellah Joy Pique in 2011.
To recall, six-year-old Ellah Joy was invited by a woman to ride with her in a dark Pajero vehicle with a male foreigner as the driver. Perhaps trusting to a fault, Ellah Joy joined them with little hesitation since the female told her she would bring her home to her father.
She rode with the couple and was later found dead a day after, her remains wrapped in a blanket and left to rot off a cliff in Barili town, some distance away from Minglanilla town where she lived.
Now six years later, four schoolchildren were headed to class also in Minglanilla town and were approached by one of the suspects, James Kevie Paradela, who reportedly wanted them to accompany him in buying guavas.
One of the girls managed to extricate herself from Paradela’s grip and went to class to report the incident to her teacher. The parents of the school kids reported the incident, and it wasn’t long before the police managed to catch the suspects.
One has to question why Paradela wanted the kids to accompany him in buying guavas, even if he was hungry at the time, when he can do that himself with assistance from adult residents there.
Again, they have enough time to clear themselves, but the circumstances behind their meeting with the schoolchildren are enough to ring alarm bells among the residents of Minglanilla town, who have yet to shake off the bad memories caused by Ellah Joy’s tragic death.
What were these individuals doing out there in Minglanilla town? There were reports that they were supposed to sell books or educational materials, but if that were the case, then why didn’t they approach the school principal, not the schoolchildren.
If anything, Ellah Joy’s death has made the residents more wary and alert in monitoring the presence of visitors whom they deem suspicious; and while it may have averted something catastrophic from happening to these schoolchildren, it’s quite sad that the community now has to live with this climate of fear, suspicion and distrust towards outsiders, not all of whom have malevolent designs on their children.
Still, the incident would serve as a good reminder to visitors that the community is vigilant in guarding against predators who come in sheep’s clothing. There won’t be another kidnapping and murder in their community as far as they are concerned.
With Ellah Joy’s kidnapping and murder still unresolved to this day, they have trust issues with visitors who will do well to act with circumspection whenever they visit Minglanilla town.