Special police team activated to probe cases of missing kids

National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina

MANILA, Philippines – The National Capital Region Police Office said Wednesday that it has activated a task force that will look into recent cases of missing children in Metro Manila.

Speaking to reporters, Chief Inspector Kimberly Molitas said NCRPO chief, Director Leonardo Espina, ordered the activation of Task Force Sagip Anghel composed of operatives from the NCRPO and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Molitas said the task force will focus its efforts on the recent cases of missing children particularly in Parañaque (case of Jael Flores, 4); Taguig  (case of Dayne Buenaflor, 3, and James Naraga, 4); and Quezon City (case of John Gabriel Calimag, 3).

Since January 2012, Molitas said NCRPO has recorded 36 cases of missing children aged 17 years old below, but said that all of them have been found and reunited with their families or legal guardians.

“Naglayas, nagkaron ng problema sa pamilya (They ran away due to a domestic problem),” Molitas said.

For his part, Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr., Philippine National Police spokesman, said PNP chief, Director General Alan Purisima, has ordered concerned officers to closely monitor these cases, saying that he doesn’t want to hear complaints that these cases are being neglected.

Over the weekend, the case of missing 4-year-old Mark Eljin made headlines when his rotting body was found in a grassy area in Pililia, Rizal with his internal organs missing.