Senator Grace Poe is seeking a Senate inquiry that will look into the reportedly increasing number of abduction cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) and the rest of 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 said in a statement.
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. According to Poe, the figure didn’t include unreported cases.
Based on the report submitted by PCCCII, these abductors “use torture and intimidation, rape women and send the videos to the victim’s relatives demanding huge sums of money,” adding that in some cases, the victims were even sold to other kidnapping groups.
For her part, Poe cited the kidnap-slay case 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, according to the senator, 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.
Poe stressed that “there is an urgent need” to determine the status of these cases, as well as possible motives, and 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,” she added.
