RASH OF KIDNAPS — Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (PCCCII) officers led by president Lugene Ang met with House of Representatives Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan, Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Jose Chiquito Malayo, and Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Undersecretary Agapito Guanlao to bring to the attention of the authorities the spike in kidnap for ransom incidents targeting the Filipino-Chinese community, with reports of 56 cases in the last 10 days, excluding unreported cases.
PNP told to stamp out kidnap gangs
HOUSE Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan wants the Philippine National Police (PNP) to suppress the rash of kidnap for ransom incidents before they become a bigger menace to Metro Manila’s peace and order.
“We want these kidnapping gangs preying on the Filipino-Chinese community stamped out right away. We do not want their nefarious activities to mutate into a larger threat,” Libanan said.
“This is clearly a law enforcement problem. The only reason these kidnappers are getting bolder is because they have not been apprehended, and they have not been put behind bars,” Libanan said.
Libanan made the statement after he facilitated a news conference wherein Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (PCCCII) officials appealed for the government’s help against kidnapping syndicates that have been targeting the Filipino-Chinese community.
PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Jose Chiquito Malayo and Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Undersecretary Agapito Guanlao were also present during the news conference at the House of Representatives.
PCCCII secretary-general Bengsum Ko said most of the kidnappings were reported in the cities of Pasay, Parañaque, Makati and Taguig.
During the news conference, Ko read aloud a letter signed by PCCCII president Lugene Ang, claiming that they have received 56 reports of kidnapping incidents in the last 10 days alone, excluding unreported cases.
Ang said the kidnappings “threaten not only the safety of our citizens but also normal business activities.”
He appealed to Congress and law enforcement agencies to “take a more active role and act swiftly to suppress these criminals and eradicate these kidnapping syndicates.”
Ang said “no bail should be granted” to kidnappers.
“And the truth of the matter is that these kidnappers are foreigners, Chinese for that matter, so we should never allow these foreign criminal syndicates to do whatever they want in our country,” Ang said.
Malayo guaranteed Camp Crame’s prompt action on all the information that the PCCCII had about kidnapping incidents that were apparently never reported to the police.
Only four kidnapping cases were reported to the police, Malayo said.
