PNP on track to curb kidnappings
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. said policemen are undertaking more proactive measures to stop kidnapping-for-ransom cases as he cited many accomplishments by the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG).
“We’ve been coordinating with the Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order led by Ms. Teresita Ang-See and are keeping an eye on so-called ‘underreporting’ of KFR incidents.
We’re not turning our back on that but to tell you frankly, we have many anti-kidnapping accomplishments which we did not report following requests from the families of the victims,” the top cop said.
PNP-AKG director Brigadier Gen. Cosme Abrenica also belied reports of ‘underreporting’ of kidnapping cases in the country, saying they have only recorded 20 incidents since January this year.
The official said that out of the 20 cases, 15 have been solved while the rest are still under investigation.
Most of the victims were Chinese nationals while some are from South Korea and Taiwan, he added.
“We are paying close attention to these cases and we are ensuring a smooth flow of investigation. It could be that there are some cases that are really not reported to us so we are not able to address it.
This is why we encourage those who have information to coordinate with us,” Abrenica said.
The two officials issued the statement when asked by the Journal Group to comment on a newspaper column by former Press Secretary Rigoberto Tiglao entitled’ Chinese businessmen spooked by kidnappings.’
Tiglao said the Filipino-Chinese community in the country is alarmed over a “rising cases of kidnappings of Chinese citizens in the metropolis” and cited sources from the Filipino-Chinese community who claimed that kidnapping cases are “grossly underreported as relatives of Chinese kidnapped are no longer reporting such incidents, whether the victims were killed or freed” on fears of reprisal.
In the latter parts of 2022, the PNP leadership also dismissed reports of rising crimes as it defended the organization from claims by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. regarding a new spate of kidnapping incidents in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.
The PNP last year said that it investigated 27 kidnapping cases compared to the 38 it probed in 2021.
The victims in last year’s kidnappings were Chinese, Vietnamese and Taiwanese nationals whose abductions were tied to their connection with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) companies in the country.
Abrenica recently paid a courtesy call on former PNP chief and senator Panfilo ‘Ping’ M. Lacson and gave the latter updates on the KFR situation in the country.
Lacson congratulated the entire PNP-AKG team for a job well done during his meeting with Abrenica.
Last October 18, PNP-AKG agents arrested five men accused of kidnapping a Chinese and a Hongkong national in Parañaque City following a massive operation that ended at the kidnappers’ safehouse in Cavite.
The anti-kidnapping operatives got help from the Cavite Police Provincial Office in tracking down the suspects in General Trias City.
Abrenica said that prior to the anti-kidnapping operation, they got information the victims, whose names were withheld, were abducted as they were about to enter their village.
A witness said that four armed men on board a white car suddenly blocked the victims’ path, handcuffed them and covered their mouths with packaging tape before transferring them to another vehicle.
However, the PNP-AKG also received a report that the victims managed to escape from their captors.
The ensuing follow-up operations led to the arrest of four of the suspects while the 5th was captured three hours later.
Abrenica said they also got valuable help from the victims, who were described only through their aliases ‘Jerome’ and ‘Jovan.’
The two provided information to PNP-AKG investigators which led to the identification of the suspects and their hideout.
Last October 16, PNP-AKG officers also arrested a Chinese national accused of kidnapping a 74-year old South Korean in Pampanga.
The kidnapper allegedly demanded 2 billion Won (roughly P83 million) ransom from his family in exchange for his release.
The suspect, identified as Li Cheng, was arrested during an operation inside the Reyes Private Pool in Kaimo Street, Pansol, Calamba City, Laguna where the Korean kidnapping victim identified only as alias’ Naying’ was also rescued.
The PNP-AKG took cognizance of the case following a complaint from the Korean Consular Office represented by Major Manny Heo and a friend of the victim identified as Dongho Lee last October 5.
The two Koreans went to the PNP-AKG headquarters in Camp Crame shortly before midnight of October 5 to report that the victim was believed to have been kidnapped at the parking area of Gonghang Corporation inside Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga between 2-3 p.m. last September 27.
The victim’s friend said the latter was forcibly snatched by unidentified men and dragged into a getaway vehicle which sped towards an unknown direction.
Shortly after, the suspects demanded KRW 2,000,000 or around P83 million from the victim’s family in exchange for his liberty.
The same complainant said that an initial amount of P1 million was paid to the kidnappers at the lobby of Las Palmas Hotel in Malate, Manila last October 1.
Abrenica said that through the conduct of a backtracking, they were able to identify the getaway vehicles of the kidnappers.
Using the information, PNP-AKG operatives, with the assistance of officers from the Regional Intelligence Unit 4-A, the Calamba City Police Station and the Laguna Provincial Intelligence Unit, proceeded to the Pansol resort where they rescued the victim and arrested the Chinese suspect.
All suspects are now facing criminal charges for kidnapping with serious illegal detention.
