Anti-crime group confirms rise in kidnap cases in recent months

An anti-crime group said Sunday that there has been a rise in kidnapping incidents in some parts of the country, particularly in Metro Manila.

In a report by GMA News’ JP Soriano, Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) head Teresita Ang See said five kidnap-for-ransom cases have been reported from January to June.

According to Ang See, in four of these cases the victims are Chinese nationals.

“After a long while na walang kidnapping biglang nagbalik so kailangan talaga mag-ingat. Very disturbing kasi nga lahat ito hindi nag-report, dalawa lang dito yung nag-report na nagbigay ng data," See said.

See added the MRPO also monitored four cases of “kidnap extortion” of Chinese businessmen tagged in illegal drugs, with suspects also including policemen.

She said the suspects kidnap the businessmen when they fail to pay up, or threaten to file drug cases against them.

"Kukunin ka sa business establishment mo pag hindi ka mag pay off [and] threaten ka na file-an ka ng drugs case o kaya ibibiyahe ka hindi ka na pababalikin… Lahat ng kaso ang report sa amin are policemen kaya ayaw nilang mag report," she said.

See claimed two oxalic acid cleaning agents were threatened by policemen if they didn’t pay a huge amount of ransom money.

Manila Police District Director Senior Superintendent Joel Coronel said they are verifying reports that several of their policemen are involved in extortion activities.

“We are verifying the reports of extortion and I told Ma’am Tessie Ang See that we will cooperate with them and if there are policemen, especially coming from the Manila police who are involved, we will take actions against these police personnel," Coronel said.

Coronel said the MPD and the Anti-Kidnapping Group of the Philippine National Police monitored four kidnapping incidents from January to Sunday, November 6.

He said three cases occurred before July while the last case happened in October, involving a Chinese trader kidnapped while in his warehouse. But Coronel noted that no one has filed a case on the side of the victims.

Drug lords switching to kidnapping?

In his speech on Friday, President Rodrigo Duterte said that certain criminals have shifted to kidnapping for ransom due to the government's crackdown on drugs.

Duterte also said he received reports of six kidnappings in the Binondo area, Manila’s Chinatown, in the past three weeks.

"There's a very low supply of drugs now. But, nag-shift na naman sa kidnapping ang mga gago. So bagong laro naman ito," Duterte said.

"Magti-three weeks, there were about six kidnappings sa Binondo. Be careful. Give me time to... talk to God?" he added.

Malacañang later said that Duterte "has his own sources" regarding the claim.

However, Chief Superintendent Oscar Albayalde, head of the National Capital Region Police Office, said the PNP had yet to receive reports of kidnapping in Manila.

Meanwhile, See feared drug syndicates would resort to other streams of income, especially with the coming holiday season.

"Yung drugs walang pagkakakitaan magshi-shift yan, maghahap at maghahapa yan ng pagkakakitaan especially December is coming very soon talagang doble yung pag-iingat and report the cases," See said.

Coronel said, for his part, the MPD will strengthen its police presence and increase police visibility in Filipino-Chinese communities.

“We are going to strengthen our police presence and increase our police visibility. We're going to implement regular inspection together with barangay officials of different establishments to check on these Filipino-Chinese traders and to assure them we're there to provide security for them," he said. — Joseph Tristan Roxas/BM, GMA News