Another kidnapping spree

In recent years, according to reports, at least 15 officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in different parts of the country have been kidnapped and released apparently after paying for their freedom. The attacks must be escalating; since 2018 alone, there are stories that about 10 BIR officials, most of them women, have been kidnapped and held for ransom.

An intriguing element is that in many of the cases, the victims do not seek police help in going after the kidnappers or ask for a formal investigation. So it’s possible that there are many other cases that go unreported.

Without official complaints, the stories could be dismissed as mere rumors. But even the Philippine National Police has let on that it has received similar reports. The PNP is in fact going after certain groups engaged in ransom kidnapping.

In one raid on a safehouse in Marilao, Bulacan last Thursday, police reported that a Ford Everest found in the premises was stolen from a female BIR official who was kidnapped in June. The official was freed after paying ransom but did not file a complaint, the PNP said. Also recovered were documents for a Mitsubishi Montero that was taken from another BIR official in Pangasinan in May. The PNP is following up reports that the vehicle was used in the ambush of a candidate for mayor in Cagayan.

PNP officials are following up reports that cops themselves, some of them no longer in the service but others still active, are involved in the kidnapping activities.

When a kidnapping spree plagued the country in the 1990s, one of the critical factors in ending the attacks was the cooperation of the target group at the time, mainly the Chinese-Filipino community. Relatives of kidnap victims understandably fear that seeking police help might endanger the victims, and in case of a rescue, the kidnappers might retaliate against the family. But the silence of the targets emboldened the kidnappers and led to more attacks. Getting over their fears, victims’families worked closely with the PNP. A brutal police crackdown was launched and the kidnapping spree ended.

This time, aside from the usual fears instilled by kidnappers about alerting authorities, the refusal of most of the purported victims from the BIR to seek police help has fueled speculation that they are avoiding questioning over the sources of their ransom payments, among other assets.

Such nasty speculation is best dispelled if the victims cooperate with the police and kidnappers are caught. It is also the only way to put a stop to the resurgence of this scourge.