Some Chinese kidnapped due to debts, drugs

MANILA, Philippines - Not all kidnappings involve criminals milking money from their victims, an anti-crime watchdog said yesterday.

Some Chinese are actually kidnapped until they paid their gambling debts or remitted proceeds from drug deals, according to Teresita Ang-See, founder of the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO).

She called on the Chinese embassy to initiate a program to educate their citizens.

The police said a total of 43 kidnappings were recorded in Luzon and Mindanao this year alone. Ang See, however, said the kidnappings that stem from debts or drug deals are also included in the list.