Chinese syndicates now into illegal recruitment, says anti-crime advocate Ang-See

Anti-crime advocate Teresita Ang-See on Saturday said it is disturbing that Chinese syndicates have expanded their activities to include illegal recruitment of their countrymen.

"What is disturbing now is nag-expand na, hindi na 'yung mga taong may utang sa casino... It's now expanding. Itong mga employees naman nila who are enticed under false pretenses, parang 'yung mga OFW natin na victims of illegal recruitment," said Ang-See, founder of the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order, in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV aired on GMA News TV.

Ang-See said some Chinese nationals were being offered IT jobs with eight hours of work daily and P50,000 salary a month, but would end up working in Philippine online gaming operations (POGOs).

"They entice lalo na 'yung mga taga-provinces na lolokohin nila (saying) na, 'You don't need sophisticated education, basta marunong kang mag-type ng Chinese, marunong kang magsalita ng Chinese.' They promise a lot of things," she said.

Those illegally-recruited Chinese who wanted to quit are then badly tortured or beaten up, Ang-See added.

She said syndicates target not only Chinese employees but also legitimate businessmen, who are abducted upon their exit to the immigration, taken into a van then brought into a safe house for ransom negotiation.

On Monday, a female Chinese national was allegedly abducted in Makati City and taken into a vehicle.

The incident was caught on video and has since gone viral on social media.

Her husband was considered a person of interest in the case. After he gave his testimony to authorities, police deemed his answers "inconsistent."

Authorities said a "personal grudge" may have been the motive behind her abduction.

Ang-See said their group found six cases of Chinese businessmen getting abducted in October or November, adding it is "shocking" that payments for ransom were made involving hundreds of millions of pesos.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Joel Saliba, spokesman of the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group, said they have yet to confirm whether the Chinese syndicates were those from Cambodia who fled to the country following a crackdown on criminals.

Saliba: Patuloy pa imbestigasyon kung bakit dumami ang Chinese criminals sa bansa. https://t.co/Jl7zdrja0g

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) December 14, 2019

Saliba said Chinese syndicates are conducting their modus either through loan sharks or POGOs.

They target Chinese nationals losing at casinos, offering them loans, and will kidnap them if they are unable to pay, he added.

Saliba: Ang modus na nakikita natin sa paggawa nila ng kidnapping ay itong mga loan shark o pautang. https://t.co/Jl7zdrja0g

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) December 14, 2019

Interest is added to the ransom, making it double or at an additional 15% daily, Saliba said.

Saliba: Para ma-pressure 'yung pamilya China ng mga kidnap victims na magbayad, nagpapadala sila ng video na tinotorture nila ang victim. https://t.co/Jl7zdrja0g

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) December 14, 2019

Meanwhile, illegal POGO operators hold their Chinese employees who wanted to quit and go back to China, charging them for their processing fee, travel documents and other expenses, he said. —Jamil Santos/KG, GMA News