THE number of kidnapping cases in the country dropped by 31 percent from January to May this year, the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) said.
In a press briefing in Camp Crame, AKG chief Brig. Gen. Cosme Abrenica said they have logged nine kidnapping cases during this period, from 13 incidents in the same period last year.
“For 2024, meron tayong only 18 cases ng kidnapping pero ‘yung nine doon ay hoax kidnapping. So we are only working on these nine cases,” he said.
Abrenica said they have logged zero casino-related kidnapping cases during this period.
“In the past, we encountered victims who lost money and are contacting their families abroad. They tell them they were kidnapped. Then the family will contact the embassy and the embassy will reach out to us. We would then hold a joint operation and fortunately, we are able to recover the victims safely,” he added.
These incidents include six traditional kidnap-for-ransom cases and three cases linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Out of the figure, two have been solved, three were cleared while four are under investigation.
Solved cases are those where suspects have already been arrested and charges have been filed, while cleared cases are those where suspects have yet to be arrested and charges have been filed.
Abrenica said most of the victims were Chinese nationals and happened in Metro Manila.
“We still have cases that are under investigation because it is difficult to quickly investigate kidnapping cases. We always do backtracking in solving these cases,” he added. (PNA)
