News blackout on ‘live kidnapping’
MANY years ago, I was having coffee with a top PNP anti-kidnapping official in his office when his secretary told us that another public official, accompanied by a group of reporters, was outside the building waiting for him to discuss details of of a kidnapping-for-ransom case they were investigating.
In short, the public official was then very eager to have a press conference regarding the case which is being handled by the official’s unit. When she insisted on having that presscon, the latter was told by my friend that she can go ahead but with a warning that should the kidnappers harm the victim, she should expect to be blamed for the incident.
In the end, the public official relented and asked the reporters who were with her to just wait until the incident is resolved. True enough, the victim was rescued and the kidnappers captured alive as they have no inkling that police were already hot on their trail.
Having covered the police force since it was established in 1991, I have been privy to countless cases of successful anti-kidnapping operations. However, I also knew of some cases where the unfortunate victims were killed while in captivity by their captors after their story was reported by the press.
In some cases, enterprising TV, radio or newspaper reporters also made reports on ‘live kidnapping’ not thinking they would be endangering the lives of the victim. Many don’t know that kidnappers usually tune in to the radio, watch primetime TV news or read the morning papers to see if their caper is already being investigated by authorities.
The amount of media attention a kidnapping receives is really different for each incident as some do not generate real attention at all while others do as even though they are still considered as ‘live kidnapping,’ they are being reported complete with so many speculations.
The presence of social media is now also another major challenge being faced by the police and other authorities as they investigate ‘live kidnappings.’ Thus, one official told me that mothers of some past kidnapping-for-ransom victims have even harbored the thought of killing themselves in the event their sons or daughters were harmed by their abductors.
This is the very reason why police usually do not publicize kidnapping-for-ransom cases in the media as this not only give kidnappers publicity but in particular increases the risks being faced by the hostage. It is also seen as a matter that may attract the attention of other criminal-minded persons who may fabricate stories they are holding the hostage and demand money too from the victim’s family.
Yes, a reporter’s story about a ‘live kidnapping’ may be considered an exclusive report, a source of pride for the author and his/her company but the reality is that once they are out on print or broadcast live on TV or radio, they cannot anymore be undone.
This is the reason too why all information that may be written or broadcast live should be meticulously verified as ‘misinformation, rumors or mere speculations and conjectures’ could really hinder an ongoing investigation and cause real distress to the affected family.
I’m discussing this as we all should have learned from the past, particularly in cases where the press without question played a role in escalating a kidnapping incident or not. Let me cite a broadcast code of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.
The KBP code says that “the coverage of crimes in progress or crisis situations such as hostage-taking or kidnapping shall not put lives in greater danger than what is already inherent in the situation.”
“ Such coverage should be restrained and care should be taken so as not to hinder or obstruct efforts of authorities to resolve the situation,” it also says. In short, journalists need to abide by certain ethics to minimize or do no harm as they really can do good or bad. We’re talking of real responsible journalism here.
This also comes in the wake of the strengthened effort by the PNP to fight illegal POGO operations in the country, some of them believed to have ‘splintered’ into much smaller groups after PBBM banned their presence.
PNP chief General Rommel Marbil said they are fully addressing the presence of these clandestine POGO activities as they have been linked to illegal detention, financial fraud, and human trafficking.
According to PNP Public Information Office chief Colonel Randy Tuaño, recent investigations have also revealed that some criminal incidents, including kidnappings, stem from disputes related to underground gambling and cyber fraud—illegal activities often associated with former POGO operations.
From January 2024 to February 2025, the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) headed by Col. Elmer Ragay recorded a total of 40 kidnapping cases, 10 of which involved Chinese nationals as victims, all reportedly abducted by fellow Chinese perpetrators, further highlighting the major challenge posed by criminal syndicates operating in the aftermath of the POGO shutdown.
As of press time, the PNP is also investigating the disappearance of a Chinese national last seen on February 20 in Taguig City. While authorities are pursuing multiple leads, the PNP assured the public that all angles are being carefully examined to establish the facts and ensure justice even as the PNP urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information that could cause unnecessary alarm.
