Binay orders greater police visibility following kidnap case
After the abduction video of a Chinese woman went viral on social media, Mayor Abigail “Abby” Binay on Tuesday ordered the Makati Police to deploy more cops for a greater police visibility in the city.
On Monday night, Zhou Mei, 28, a POGO employee, was forcibly taken by three still unidentified Chinese men aboard a gray Kia Carnival along Paseo de Roxas in Barangay San Lorenzo, Makati around 9 p.m., Monday.
Her live-in partner, Chen Tangbin, also a POGO employee, reportedly left their condo in Makati early Tuesday morning as there were people asking him to pay money in exchange for the liberty of Mei.
“I have ordered greater police visibility to ensure the safety and protection of all Makatizens, including foreign nationals who work and conduct business in the city,” Binay said in a statement.
The mayor called on residents to utilize of the “Makatizen app” to report crimes and other urgent concerns to the proper authorities.
“[S]o as to ensure immediate police or emergency response. Contacting our authorities should be our first course of action,” she said.
Binay said she already directed Makati police chief Colonel Rogelio Simon monitor the follow-up operations and give updates.
“All leads are being pursued to immediately identify the suspects, locate their whereabouts and apprehend them, and safely rescue the victim,” the mayor said.
“While this is an isolated incident, we appeal to all Makati residents to take an active part in keeping our homes, streets and communities safe for us and our children,” she added.
The country’s streets remain safe, but the public must stay vigilant and report any suspicious behavior of individuals to the police, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement after assuring that an investigation into the reported abduction of a Chinese woman in Makati City was underway.
Panelo, speaking to reporters at the Palace, said the kidnapping incident was an “isolated” one.
“They should always be alert whenever they go out and be conscious around them if they see any suspicious men or women lurking around. They should report it immediately to police authorities,” Panelo said.
Asked if the streets remain safe for the public, Panelo said: “Definitely, remember in the index crimes has decreased considerably. In fact in Mindanao, there is no need for an extension of martial law.”
Panelo said police authorities are committed to bring to justice the perpetrators of the incident.
“I don’t know if the President has seen the video but even if he has not seen it, the PNP (Philippine National Police) would be investigating the same and will pursue the people behind the kidnapping,” he said.
“That particular incident is isolated. I have not heard any kidnapping case reported by the media except for the video that went viral,” he added.
Spike in kidnapping cases
The Anti-Kidnapping Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said the number of kidnapping cases in the country have ballooned to at least 75 cases in the past three years, with the police attributing the sharp increase to casino and POGO-related abductions involving Chinese victims and kidnappers.
AKG spokesperson Lt. Col. Jowel Saliba said that from January to November this year, they were able to arrest 88 suspects, rescued 29 victims and solved 27 cases.
Since 2017 when Chinese gaming investors and workers have started to flock the country, a total of 75 cases were reported which include that of January to November this year.
For 2017, there were 17 cases reported to the AKG involving 19 victims. The operations also resulted in the arrest of 59 suspects.
Last year, 16 cases were reported that involve 17 victims. Saliba said 17 suspects were arrested.
Police, however, admitted that not all casino and POGO-related kidnappings are reported.
Based on AKG data, casino and POGO kidnappings have different motivations.
For casino-related kidnappings, the victims are usually Chinese tourists who are reportedly being invited to the country to play in the casino as part of their itinerary.
Those who would invite them to play are usually members of loan shark syndicates being ran by Chinese suspects with Filipino cohorts.
Once the potential victim arrives in the country, he would be encouraged to play at the casino with the loan sharks offering huge sum of money once he runs out of cash.
When the victim losses and fails to pay, he would be taken to the hideouts of the loan shark syndicates where they would be beaten up and treated like animals.
The video of the torture and their living condition would then be sent to the relatives of the victims in order to force their family to pay.
In POGO kidnapping, the victims are mostly Chinese who were invited to work at POGOs in various parts of the country. It is the operators which usually take care of the travel documents and expenses of their employees from China.
But as soon as the Chinese workers arrive in the country, the promised monthly salary would not be given and would be instead cut by 50 percent. The victims are also being duped on their food and accommodation.
Since the passports and other travel documents are controlled by the operators who recruited them, most of them had no choice but to stay.
But for those who would attempt to flee with the help of their countrymen, they would be allegedly abducted by those who recruited them and would be forced to go back to their work.
The daring kidnapping of a Chinese woman in Makati City on Monday night wherein the kidnappers are fearlessly abducting their countrymen is the usual modus operandi. (With a report from Genalyn D. Kabiling)