PNP-AKG to deploy own team to probe Makati abduction

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police – Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) will deploy its own team to investigate the alleged abduction of a Chinese woman in Makati City on Monday night.

Lt. Col. Jowel Saliba, PNP-AKG spokesperson, said this team will coordinate with the Makati City police now conducting an investigation on the incident.

“Kahit na po wala (nang complainant), because lumabas na ito sa social media, magde-deploy po kami ng team para mag-imbestiga dito. We will conduct our own investigation,” he told reporters in an interview.

(Even if there is no complainant, because this already surfaced in social media, we will deploy a team to investigate this. We will conduct our own investigation.)

Videos that earlier circulated in social media showed a woman shrieking for help while forcing her way out of a gray Kia Carnival van in Paseo de Roxas corner Perea Street in Legazpi Village.

Maj. Gideon Ines Jr., Makati City police investigation chief, identified the victim as Zhou Mei, 28, a worker for a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) firm. Police also provided media a copy of the victim’s passport.

Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, acting director of the National Capital Region Police Office, said the incident could not be a kidnap-for-ransom case but only an abduction where the victim’s captors may only be after her supposed debt.