I’M referring to the continued ‘bullying’ our government in general and the Philippine National Police in particular has been getting from some American lawmakers who are trying very hard to dip into the country’s affairs in the guise of supposedly protecting human rights.

Last Thursday, the hitherto unknown human rights group International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines reported that Mark Pennsylvania Representative Susan Wild has introduced a measure which seeks to limit the U.S. security assistance to the PNP over human rights concerns.

In her proposed amendment to the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act, Wild said no funds including assistance in the form of equipment or training should be given to the PNP unless the Philippine government acts on the alleged human rights abuses committed by the national police.

She even listed four conditions for the PNP in order for American aid to continue: First is “Investigated and prosecuted members of the PNP “who violated human rights, ensured that police personnel cooperated with judicial authorities in such cases and affirmed that such violations have ceased.

2nd is Established that the PNP would protect the rights of journalists, trade unionists, human rights defenders, critics of the government, religious and activists “to operate without interference.”

` 3rd is “Taken steps to guarantee a judicial system capable of investigating and prosecuting members of the police and military who have committed human rights abuses.” And 4th is “Fully compliant with national and US audits and probe on proper use of prior security assistance.”

Wild in 2020 also introduced House Resolution No. 8313 or the proposed Philippine Human Rights Act, which also sought to suspend security assistance to the country until it had made “certain reforms to the military and police forces, and for other purposes.”

During the early years of the Duterte presidency, the U.S. State Department also halted the planned sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the PNP after Senator Ben Cardin said he would oppose it amid concerns about human rights violations.

The PNP won’t comment on the latest remark from the American lawmaker as it has not received any official report from the U.S. regarding the matter. But obviously, these American lawmakers are only listening to the reports being fed to them by critics of the former Duterte administration and now the Bongbong Marcos government and won’t hear the truth coming out from our authorities especially the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice.

They won’t listen to the fact that the DOIG is already probing a number of purported human rights violations committed by some policemen as a result of the war on drugs launched by the former Davao City mayor and has been getting the PNP’s full cooperation on the matter.

What they only want to hear is that in the Philippines, the American citizen but Philippine-born Maria Ressa and her Rappler are being pilloried due to their supposed accurate and impartial reporting. They won’t want to hear that the rule of law is being observed when it comes to the Ressa-Rappler issues and that the latter are being given all the chance to defend themselves from the lawsuits hurled against them, their position expected to go up to the Supreme Court.

They would also prefer not to comment on the ongoing slaughter of Ukrainians by invading Russian forces simply because Russia remains a force to reckon with compared to The Philippines which rely upon them in many situations especially when it comes to external defense. That’s the sad truth and nothing but the truth.

COMMENDATIONS FOR THIS HARDWORKING CIDG COLONEL AMID NEW NORMAL

On a personal note, I would say that commendations from the Philippine National Police leadership are in order for this hardworking chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region Field Unit responsible for arresting profiteers and other unscrupulous persons who took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020.

I’m referring to Colonel Randy Glenn Silvio, a member of PNP Academy Class 1997 whose unit so far has successfully convicted seven persons they arrested in the aftermath of a crackdown ordered by former President Duterte against individuals or groups who took advantage of the virus to profit illegally.

I learned that to date, the CIDG-NCRFU under Silvio has succeeded in seeking court conviction for at least seven individuals who were arrested for either illegally selling, marketing and distributing fake COVID-19 medicines, test kits and falsified COVID-19 swab test results which caught the ire of the former administration.

The accused identified as Paul Henry Ferra, Mary Anne Lachica, Nomeo Miano Jr., Kenneth Wright, Fritz Loza, Jan Alvin Pascual and Neina Llonto were found guilty by different courts and were given fines ranging from P5,000 to P10,000 to as much as P50,000 and a prison term of six-months up to one-year. The suspects who were convicted for falsification of commercial documents or for selling fake RT-PCR test results were also ordered to perform community service.

I learned that the CIDG-NCRFU arrested the suspects in stings in different parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces in close coordination with the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health. From April 2021 to last March, the unit has already conducted 2o focused law enforcement operations against unscrupulous traders and other con men who have taken advantage of the pandemic.

Indeed, many individuals, business establishments or groups of individuals tried to profit illegally by engaging in the rampant underground/black market selling of COVID-19 medicines, test kits and medical devices since the start of the pandemic. It’s good to learn that our officers and men from the CIDG-NCRFU have shown dedication in not only arresting their targets, but most importantly, ensuring they will pay for their crimes by having them convicted by the court thru solid evidence and expert testimonies.

It’s also heartening to know that the CIDG-NCRFU effort prevented the circulation into the local market of nearly P5.7 million worth of COVID-19 medicines and test kits which were being sold without any FDA authority, with many of them later turning out to be fake drugs when subjected into examination.

WHY THERE IS A NEED TO TIGHTEN WATCH ON UNDESIRABLE ALIENS?

I’M asking this in the wake of the headache being posed to our country and law enforcement agents by rogue foreigners, many of them Chinese nationals kidnapping and torturing their compatriots to force their families abroad to pay them huge amount of ransom.

Yesterday, I learned that the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s National Capital Region Field Unit headed by Colonel Glen Silvio have turned over to the Bureau of Immigration four Chinese nationals initially charged for kidnapping and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition following their arrest in a hot pursuit operation in Bacoor City in Cavite last July 1.

Yang Hui Huang, Jerry Hong, Yang Yuan and Huang Xianglong were turned over to the BI by the CIDG-NCRFU last Thursday. Usually, foreigners facing criminal charges in the country are ordered to serve their jail term upon conviction prior to their deportation.

However, I was informed that the complainants are on the verge of withdrawing the charges against the four and settling their case amicably. That means the eventual dropping of the criminal charges against the accused and their eventual deportation to China.

Presence of undesirable aliens like that of the four Chinese should prod the BI to further tighten their watch on foreigners abusing the privilege given to them by the government to stay in our country. They should be forever banned from returning to The Philippines once they are deported.

To do this, BI must further improve its technology to foil effort by human trafficking syndicates to sneak in undesirable aliens in the country using fake passports and other travel documents. I hope and pray that BI already has a world-class biometrics procedure to record fingerprints, facial and retina patterns and other individual characteristics of every foreigner arriving in the country.

It should also regularly check its detention facility for aliens in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan to check the presence of mobile phones and other communication gadgets, drugs, weapons and other items banned inside government lock-up facilities and other jails.

To refresh your memories, CIDG-NCRFU agents arrested the four Chinese nationals along Princeton Subdivision in Barangay Mambog 4 in Bacoor City. Yang Hui Huang,31; Jerry Hong, 32; and Huang Xianglong,29, are all jobless Chinese residing in the Bacoor City subdivision while Yuan, is a 28-year old female said to be a POGO operator residing at 308 Burgundy, McKinley, Pacific Avenue in Don Galo, Parañaque City.

According to PNP-CIDG director, Major General Ely Cruz, the four were arrested by his men following a report regarding a kidnapping and robbery incident that took place around along Gilmore Street corner 11th St. in New Manila, Quezon City.

Shortly after the abduction was reported by the driver of the victims, the CIDG-NCRFU conducted the operation which led in the arrest of the four suspects. An initial investigation showed that at least six unidentified heavily-armed Chinese-looking men snatched four female and three male Chinese nationals in the area.

Witnesses said that the kidnappers were armed with long and short firearms when they seized the victims. When arrested, the four suspects were found in possession of assorted identification cards and a caliber .45 semi-automatic pistol with a magazine containing some live ammunition. The phones were found to be belonging to some of the reported abduction victims.

I learned that the victims were forced into paying ransom by the suspects after threatening their families abroad that they would be executed if their demands are not met. To further terrify the victims’ relatives, the kidnappers sent them videos of some of the victims being tortured while in blindfolds.

My friends from the police force have told me that the kidnappers even took a video of one of the victims as one of his fingers is being cut with the use of a knife, Yakuza-style. The kidnappers reportedly threatened to cut the rest of the victim’s finger every hour that their ransom demand is not met.

The last information received by the police is that the victims were all released by the kidnappers after paying a hefty ransom demand. However, they refused to file any complaint for fear of further reprisals from the suspects.

Cases like this is not new. I learned that government agents are conducting operations against rogue Chinese nationals kidnapping their compatriots and literally ‘selling’ them to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or POGOs in the country prompting PNP officials to call on the BI leadership to further tighten their way on undesirable aliens that may enter The Philippines.

In what has turned up to be a case of ‘modern-day slavery and human trafficking,’ PNP agents have uncovered the presence of some unscrupulous Chinese mainlanders who are abducting their fellows and purportedly selling them to POGO companies in Metro Manila or worst, torturing them ‘Yakuza or Mafia-style’ to force their families abroad to pay them huge ransom.

In 2019, a PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group consultative summit concluded with several recommendations by the participants from different law enforcement agencies, the Department of Justice, PAGCOR and representatives from different foreign embassies to address the problem posed by rogue Asian nationals in the country.

One of the recommendation is 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; and the trial in absentia or through embassy representation for cases with foreign nationals as either complainant/s or respondent/s and/or witness/es.

The PNP-AKG summit which was spearheaded by the PNP-AKG Advisory Group of which I am a member, also recommended for the 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.

Other recommendations 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; and 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.

These recommendations have been there since 2019 although I don’t think that the right agencies have decided to follow them to the hilt. However, I sincerely believe that those recommendations would fully help the PNP-AKG headed by Brigadier Gen. Rod Dimas to finally put an end to POGO or casino-related kidnappings in the country.

Since last year, PNP-AKG operatives have arrested dozens of Chinese nationals found to be involved in the kidnapping-for-ransom of their fellows, many of them working in POGO companies or online casinos.

Brig. Gen. Dimas said that since 2021, they have arrested nearly 400 wanted persons and neutralized 25 wanted persons including kidnappers in gunbattles as he maintained that the kidnapping situation in the country remain to be under control as proven by their 2021 statistics.

Most of the incidents recorded by the PNP-AKG in 2021 until last month are work-related POGO incidents such as illegal recruitment of POGO workers, selling of POGO workers from one company to another and maltreatment of POGO workers, the official said.

However, Brig. Gen. Dimas said there was no evidence to prove that the 12 POGO and casino-related incidents they investigated in 2021 were orchestrated to fund the recent election campaigns. He also explained that POGO-related incidents they investigated have turned out to be ‘work-related’ while casino kidnappings are ‘debt-related’ cases.

The question is why these POGO and casino-related kidnappings continue? Why are rogue Chinese nationals, many of them said to be gangsters in their own land being able to enter the country and hired by their moneyed compatriots to go after their fellows? I hope and pray that the PBBM administration will finally be able to stop this scourge which is giving The Philippines a bad image abroad.