3 kidnap leaders fall

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police has intensified its operations against kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) groups with the recent arrest of three KFR gang leaders.

Senior Supt. Rene Aspera of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) said 43 kidnap-for-ransom incidents had been reported so far this year with 24 cases already solved.

Aspera said the AKG recently arrested kidnap gang leaders Reccinte Padillo, Tyrone dela Cruz, and Martin Lico.

Padillo was tagged as the mastermind in the 2013 kidnapping of businesswoman Sally Chua, who was rescued in Davao City; while Lico leads a kidnap-for-ransom group also involved in robberies. Dela Cruz was charged for the 2013 kidnapping of a Filipino-Chinese couple in Laguna.

Aspera said the AKG is pursuing at least eight kidnapping groups on its target list.

From January to November 2014, the AKG has arrested 65 suspects involved in kidnap-for-ransom cases, while one suspect was slain in an encounter with authorities.

Of the 43 kidnapping incidents, 21 were reported in Luzon while 22 were reported in Mindanao. No kidnapping incident was reported in the Visayas.

In a briefing in Camp Crame with the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO), Aspera said they have yet to reach their “ceiling figure” of 49 kidnap-for-ransom cases a year, which is the critical point for the PNP.

“The figure includes hoax incidents or kidnap-me cases. Our number of incidents should not go beyond 49 a year,” the police official said.

In Mindanao, 90 percent of the 22 reported KFR cases were linked to the Abu Sayyaf group which still holds 10 hostages.

The arrest of Padillo and Dela Cruz was two of the MRPO’s three challenges to Interior Secretary Mar Roxas in the MRPO’s meetings with Roxas.

“We knew what we were asking were not impossible tasks. Out of the three challenges, I’d give a 2.5 to the PNP,” said MRPO founding chair Teresita Ang-See.

Ang-See called on the AKG not to be complacent during periods that there are few reported incidents of KFR cases, saying the groups were only lying low will but eventually come back with a vengeance.

“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,” she said.

Ang-See pointed out that with the holidays approaching, the public and the police should be more vigilant as crimes are expected to go up during the Christmas season.

Meanwhile, Aspera noted that kidnappers now seem to be operating in smaller groups and are involved in other crimes like illegal drugs or robbery.