Serye ng kidnapping, pinaiimbestigahan ni Poe

Nakatakdang maghain sa Lunes ng isang resolusyon si Sen. Grace Poe na humihiling sa Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs na magsagawa ng imbestigasyon sa sinasabing sunud-sunod na kidnapping, hindi lamang sa Kamaynilaan kundi maging sa ibang panig ng Luzon.

"Ang bawat kaso ng pagdukot ay nakaririmarim. Hindi natin dapat hayaang malagay sa balag ng alanganin ang kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan at ang pagsisikap nating sama-samang makaraos sa gitna ng kahirapan," himutok ni Poe.

Binanggit ni Poe na iniulat ni Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (PCCCII) President Lugene Ang na may 56 kidnapping incidents na ang kanilang naitala na kinabibilangan ng ilang Filipino at Chinese nationals kasama pa ang mga bata. Wala pa sa bilang ang hindi naiulat na mga insidente.

Idinetalye pa ng PCCCII ayon sa resolusyon ni Poe, "Masahol pa sa hayop ang mga kidnapper. Gumagamit sila ng torture, intimidasyon at panggagahasa sa mga kababaihan at pagkatapos ay magpapadala ng videos sa kaanak ng biktima kasabay ng paghingi ng malaking ransom. Sa ibang kaso, ibinebenta ang biktima sa ibang kidnapping groups."

Saad pa ni Poe sa kanyang resolusyon, "Isa sa mga kaso ang pagdukot at pagpatay kay Eduardo Tolosa Jr., isang pharmaceutical executive na napaulat na sinunog sa loob ng tatlong araw ng mga kidnapper pagkatapos huling makita nang buhay sa kanyang Toyota Land Cruiser nang kumuha siya ng P5.7 milyong cash at dalawang mamahaling relo sa Bonifacio Global City."

Isa pang hindi nalulutas na kaso ang kumakalat na traffic video na may titulong "Kidnapping sa Skyway galing airport" na kinasasangkutan ng tatlong 'di kilalang sasakyan na pumalibot sa isang puting van sa Skyway at nakita ang mga kalalakihang binubuksan ang van, ayon sa resolusyon ni Poe.

Pinabulaanan ni Philippine National Police (PNP) Deputy Chief for Administration Jose Chiquito Malayo ang bilang, na aniya ay umabot lamang sa apat ang naitalang insidente ng pagdukot sa taong kasalukuyan na kung saan ang isa ay may kaugnayan sa Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), at pawang dayuhan ang kidnappers.

Makalipas ang ilang araw, pinabulaanan ang datos ni Malayo nang iulat ng PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) na tumaas ng 25 porsiyento ang bilang ng kaso ng kidnapping na kinasasangkutan ng ilang POGO.

Iniulat ng AKG na umabot sa 27 insidente ng kidnapping ang naganap mula Enero hanggang Setyembre: 15 POGO-related, 11 kidnap for ransom at isa ay casino-related na kaso.

Inihayag naman ni PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo na hindi nila binabalewala ang posibilidad na may mga kaso ng kidnapping ng manggagawa sa POGO ang hindi naiuulat sa awtoridad.

Kaya't iginiit ni Poe sa kanyang resolusyon,"May matinding pangangailangang matukoy ang estado ng mga kasong ito, mga motibo, at pagkilos na isinasagawa ng mga ahensiya para matukoy ang salarin at sawatahin ang pagtaas ng abduction cases sa bansa.

"Kailangan din nating malaman ang katotohanan sa gitna ng mga hinalang ilang dayuhan ang nasa likod ng mga krimeng ito," giit ng resolusyon.

Poe urges Senate to probe spate of kidnappings

Sen. Grace Poe is set to file a resolution urging the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs to conduct an inquiry into the reportedly increasing number of abduction cases in Metro Manila and Luzon.

"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," Poe lamented.

The Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (PCCCII) President Lugene Ang earlier reported that in the last 10 days, 56 kidnapping incidents involving Filipino and Chinese nationals, including children, occurred. The figure excludes unreported cases, Poe's resolution cited.

PCCCII also detailed, "These kidnappers are worse than animals. They use torture and intimidation, rape women and send the videos to the victim's relatives demanding huge sums of money. In some cases, the victims were even sold to other kidnapping groups. These are unprecedented and beyond human comprehension."

Poe's resolution said, "One of these cases is the kidnap-slay of pharmaceutical executive Eduardo Tolosa Jr., chief executive officer of Iraseth Pharma Inc., who was reportedly burned for three days by his abductors after he was last seen alive in a Toyota Land Cruiser when he picked up P5.7 million in cash and two expensive watches in Bonifacio Global City."

Another unresolved case is the recently circulating traffic video titled, "Kidnapping sa Skyway galing airport" where three unidentified vehicles are seen surrounding a white vehicle in an elevated highway and men are seen trying to open the cornered white vehicle, the resolution further said.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Deputy Chief for Administration Jose Chiquito Malayo has disputed the figures, citing only four recorded abduction incidents this year of which one is related to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), with kidnappers being foreign nationals.

The figure cited by Malayo was belied just a few days later when a PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) report said that cases of kidnapping targeting workers of POGO firms have increased by 25 percent.

The report from AKG showed that there were 27 kidnapping cases from January to September, with 15 POGO-related, 11 kidnapping-for-ransom cases and one 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.

Poe pressed in her resolution, "There is an urgent need to determine the status of these cases, possible motives, agency efforts to identify the perpetrators, and the measures instituted by relevant authorities to prevent the continuous rise of abduction cases in the country."

"There is also a need to ascertain claims that foreign nationals are conducting these criminal activities," the resolution added.