AN honest-to-goodness partnership between the Philippine National Police (PNP) and its Chinese counterparts is needed to really address transnational crimes involving citizens of both countries whether they are in the Philippines or in Mainland China, the Journal Group was told.

This includes the need for full cooperation of Chinese authorities in investigating criminal activities involving their nationals in the country just like the way Philippine officials are cooperating with foreign law enforcement agencies each time a Filipino breaks the law abroad.

At present, cases of some Chinese nationals being arrested for their involvement in casino and POGO-related kidnappings are being hampered by the inability of Philippine authorities to track down the kidnappers known for torturing their preys and forcing them to produce ransom paid thru a China-based mobile payment app called WeChat. Another problem is the language barrier which has prompted calls for more Chinese interpreters needed to translate the statement of those being investigated.

Dozens of Chinese nationals found to have been involved in kidnapping-for-ransom activities in the country were found to have asked their victims to pay ransom money thru WeChat, a Chinese multi-purpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app first released in 2011 and is now considered as the world’s largest standalone mobile app with over one billion active users.

At present, Philippine police investigators have no ability to establish the money trail left thru WeChat and will need the help of their Chinese counterparts to literally unlock the code.

Recently, officers of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (PJP-AKG) and its Advisory Council met with PNP chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar to discuss proposed measures to measures to put an end to casino/POGO-related kidnappings in the country.

The PNP-AKG headed by Brigadier Gen. Rudolph B. Dimas and the PNP-AKG Advisory Council chaired by FEU professor Liana M. Barro presented to Gen. Eleazar 34 recommendations to end casino/POGO-related kidnappings which were agreed upon by participants in a 2019 Anti-Kidnapping Summit in Quezon City.

Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order official, Architect Ka Kuen Chua and Department of Justice Deputy State Prosecutor Olivia L. Torrevillas, both members of the PNP-AKG Advisory Council also joined the meeting.

Himself a former anti-kidnapping official, being an original member of the former Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response who sent to jail dozens of kidnappers in the country in the early 2000, the PNP chief last month discussed the anti-kidnapping recommendations with officials of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

The recommendations were reached during the anti-kidnapping summit workshop which was participated in by representatives from different foreign embassies, hotels, casinos, PAGCOR, the Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies. It was initiated by former PNP-AKG director, now Police Regional Office 5 director, Brig. Gen. Jonnel C. Estomo.

The recommendations include the need for full cooperation of foreign embassies, hotels and casinos to the PNP in general and the PNP-AKG in particular; approaches to be implemented to deter kidnappings and ease the process of investigation for the early resolution of reported cases; and the provision of penalties and sanctions to individuals/groups involved in casino/POGO-related kidnappings including uncooperative victims.

They also include the need to grant the PNP-AKG visitorial powers over casinos and POGOs, sanctions for casino operators/management having casino-related kidnapping-for-ransom cases with loan shark modality; a recommendation to give hotel/casino operators the prerogative to ban uncooperative victims specifically those who are not pursuing complaints before the police; the need for PAGCOR to be given authority to penalize repeat offenders in kidnapping and other illegal activities taking place inside casinos and POGO establishments.

Another is the recommendation to declare as ‘undesirable aliens’ foreign nationals involved in feigned/hoax kidnappings and other offenses and to deport them immediately to their country of origin and permanently ban them from entering The Philippines; the speedy trial of cases involving foreign nationals; and the need to consider being a foreigner as an aggravating circumstance in case they are found to be involved in casino/POGO-related kidnappings.

There is also the recommendation to craft policies/laws to tighten the issuance of work permits to foreign nationals projected to work in casinos/POGOs in the country; the trial in absentia or thru embassy representation for cases with foreign nationals as either complainant/s or respondent/s and/or witness/es.

Last week, Gen. Eleazar and other top PNP officials met with their counterparts from the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China and agreed to further strengthen their resolve and cooperation in addressing transnational crimes involving citizens of both countries.

Chinese officials led by Ministry of Public Security Vice Minister Wang Xiaohong joined the virtual meeting which centered on the need for the two law enforcement agencies to strengthen their cooperation and collaboration on mutual law enforcement and transnational security concerns affecting both countries.

Discussed during the top-level video conference were matters pertaining to Philippines-China’s mutual law enforcement and security concerns specifically the ongoing crackdown against illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations or POGO activities, telecom fraud, drug-related crimes and kidnapping-for-ransom.

A major concern of the PNP-AKG is the presence of Chinese nationals working for POGOs and online casinos and call centers in the country who are being kidnapped for ransom by their compatriots with the help of their rogue Filipino contacts.

In many cases, the victims were enticed to borrow money from casino loan shark rings being operated by Chinese syndicates. After losing their borrowed money in the casino tables, the victims are seized and kept in hotel rooms or safehouses where they are forced to seek ransom money from their families from China and other parts of Asia.

There were also cases in which Chinese nationals recruited to work in POGO firms in the country are abducted in the event they change their minds and decide to return to Mainland China. The victims are forced to pay all the expenses incurred by the company in order to bring him to the country.

Last but not the least is the presence of Chinese drug syndicates which are known for smuggling huge volume of shabu and other prohibited drugs or are actually maintaining secret drug laboratories or storage facilities in the country.

Also discussed during the talks were updates on the proposed establishment of China Desks in PNP offices that will address concerns on the protection of overseas Chinese nationals and organizations.

Both the PNP and the MPS likewise agreed to work together to ensure security of the 24th Winter Olympics in Beijing on February 2022.

The PNP and MPS bilateral conference also opened doors for training cooperation and mutual assistance, including counter-terrorism, anti-drug operation, personal online training, and policing material aids, said Gen. Eleazar.

The 90-minute conference adjourned on a high note with both delegations seeking further inter-agency cooperation under the framework of the Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime among Interpol, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)and China (10+1); and Ministerial Meeting between among China, Japan and South Korea.

The PNP and MPS both maintain liaison offices in Beijing and Manila through designated official police attaches.