‘Protective agents’ involved in killing Chinese – PNP

Twelve “protective agents” were involved in the killing of a 30-year-old Chinese national in Parañaque City, an official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) told the Senate yesterday.

At the start of the inquiry of the Senate committee on public order on the spate of kidnappings – particularly of Chinese nationals in the country – Col. Kirby John Kraft revealed the involvement of ordinary civilians, who had secured licenses from the PNP as protective agents for foreigners.

“As of today, we have identified (them as those) caught on CCTV, but Chinese nationals remain unidentified,” Kraft told the panel chaired by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former PNP chief.

Dela Rosa said these protective agents are under the PNP’s Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (SOSIA), supposedly to provide security but are now the ones committing crimes. “It’s like picking up a stone to hit our heads with. The protective agency was given a license to secure VIPs and now they are being used as goons by these Chinese syndicates who make them bodyguards,” the senator said in Filipino.

The senator said the PNP needs to find the protective agents who were involved in the crime because they will also be able to identify the Chinese victim and his compatriots who ordered it.

Videos, which went viral, were shown during yesterday’s hearing. In the video clip, men were seen confronting a Chinese national and shooting him in a residential condo in Parañaque, which Kraft said took place on July 22.

As the panel reviewed the video, Sen. JV Ejercito pointed out that people not police officers were carrying highpowered firearms. In response Lt. Gen. Jose Chiquito Malayo, PNP deputy chief for administration, said they were already investigating.

“All detailed security from PNP should wear a uniform so there will be no confusion. Only two protective agents are allowed, not more than that. We will look into these suspicious bodyguards,” Malayo said.

Sen. Grace Poe also questioned why Chinese nationals are allowed to carry firearms in the country when they are foreigners.

“They (Chinese nationals) are not given a license by the PNP,” Malayo replied in agreement with Poe that foreigners should not be allowed to carry firearms.

Ejercito also raised the information he received that some of these foreigners had assumed the identities of dead Filipinos to avail themselves of the certain rights while in the country, such as owning a gun.