Police told to step up drive vs kidnapping during holiday

Teresita Ang-See. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—An anti-crime crusader on Friday reminded the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) to watch out for the possible rise of kidnapping cases in the country as the holiday season nears.

Teresita Ang-See, founding chairperson of the Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO), urged the authorities to be more vigilant and increase their manhunt operations.

“During the times that the syndicates lie low, the PNP should intensify their manhunt. Of course, the national government should also provide the funding for the manhunt,” Ang See said.

She urged the police not to be complacent even as the AKG reported that as of November, it has yet to reach its ceiling of 49 kidnap-for-ransom incidents.

“We knew what we were asking were not impossible tasks,” Ang See said.

The AKG said that it has recorded 43 kidnap-for-ransom cases since the start of 2014 with 24 of them already solved.

Police Senior Superintendent Rene Aspera said that among the 43 KFR incidents, 21 were reported in Luzon, 22 in Mindanao and zero in Visayas.

According to Asperas, 90 percent of the 22 reported cases in Mindanao were linked to the Abu Sayyaf Group.

The police official cited the continuous intensified operations of the PNP-AKG following the arrest of KFR leaders Reccinte Padillo, Tyrone dela Cruz, and Martin Lico.

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