Poe wants Senate to investigate spate of abductions

MANILA, Philippines — An increase in the number of kidnapping cases in the country has prompted Sen. Grace Poe to ask the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs to look further into the issue.

This came after Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (PCCCII) president Lugene Ang reported 56 kidnapping incidents involving Filipino and Chinese nationals, including children, in the last 10 days.

Ang claimed the kidnappers “are worse than animals,” using torture, intimidation and rape to get money. In some cases, they sold their victims to other kidnap groups.

“These are unprecedented and beyond human comprehension,” he said.

Poe wanted the government to determine the status of these cases, its motives and to identify perpetrators.

“An abduction case is one too many. We cannot allow this situation to threaten our people’s safety and trample on our efforts to help them get through the difficult times,” she said.

Poe also wanted to know if it is true that foreign nationals are behind these criminal activities.

In the resolution she filed, Poe cited the kidnap-slay case of Eduardo Tolosa Jr., chief executive officer of Iraseth Pharma, whose remains was burnt for three days in an attempt to hide the crime. Tolosa was said to be carrying P5.7 million in cash and two expensive watches when he went missing.

The resolution also mentioned a traffic video, titled “Kidnapping sa Skyway galing airport,” where three vehicles are seen surrounding a white vehicle on an elevated highway and men are seen trying to open the cornered white car.

Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy chief for administration Jose Chiquito Malayo disputed the PCCCII figures, saying there were only four recorded kidnap incidents this year.

One of the four cases, he added, was related to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and the kidnappers were foreign nationals.

However, a PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group report belied Malayo’s claim as it noted a 25 percent increase in kidnapping cases that target POGO workers.

The PNP-AKG report showed 27 kidnapping cases from January to September. Of the figure, 15 were POGO-related, 11 were kidnapping-for-ransom cases and one was a casino-related case.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said that they are not discounting the possibility that some cases of kidnapping of POGO workers are not being reported to authorities.