Kidnappings across the Philippines are on the rise with 88 cases recorded this year, a senior official said yesterday. Among those kidnapped were 18 foreigners.
Deputy Director General Lucas Managuelod, head of the PNP directorate for investigations, said in an interview with ABS-CBN television the number had increased from the 38 kidnappings recorded last year.
Director Edgar Aglipay, PNP director for operations, was designated anew as chief of the National Capital Region Police Office.
Aglipay replaced Deputy Director General Edgar Galvante, who was tossed back to his former post as deputy chief for operations.
Mendoza sacked Narcotics Group director Chief Superintendent Reynor Gonzales, whose new assignment was not announced.
Director Efren Fernandez, chief of the directorate for personnel and records management (DPRM), was chosen as the new narcotics chief.
In a hastily called press conference, Mendoza explained that the reshuffle – effective today – was aimed at addressing the alarming incidents of kidnap-for-ransom in the country.
"We are not just dismantling the kidnap gangs, but likewise their networks. Kidnapping for ransom still occurs. We aim to reduce crimes and neutralize these groups," he said.
Also affected by the reshuffle were Director Ricardo de Leon, PNP chief for operations vice Aglipay; Chief Superintendent Jose Lalisan, director for plans vice De Leon; Chief Superintendent Virtus Gil, DPRM vice Fernandez; Eastern Police District director George Aliño as Cordillera Administrative Region director vice Gil; and Senior Superintendent Rolando Sacramento vice Aliño.
At Malacañang, President Arroyo ordered the National Anti-Crime Commission chaired by Justice Secretary Hernando Perez to report in today’s Cabinet meeting on the successive kidnappings in various parts of the country.
Her spokesman said that immediately upon her arrival last night from an overnight state visit to Indonesia, Mrs. Arroyo instructed Perez "to explain why three (successive) kidnappings took place despite the fact that major syndicates have been neutralized."
"She wants the NACC, along with the Cabinet, to come up with measures to finally end this scourge," Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said.
However, Managuelod said the incidence of actual kidnappings probably rose by only three percent and the higher number of reported cases indicated more people were now willing to report such kidnappings to the police.
"The perception of the people is improving because more people are reporting to the police compared to last year," Managuelod said.
He said 62 percent of the abductions this year had already been solved with the kidnappers arrested and they expected to make progress in the other cases.
Managuelod said a 14-year-old daughter of a prominent dermatologist and hair grower inventor became the latest victim on Monday, but as yet there were no major leads.
Police were also "quite alarmed" by the 18 kidnapping incidents involving foreigners this year and they had met with the diplomatic corps on the problem, he added.
He did not give their nationalities, or say whether any of the victims remain in captivity. Police earlier said Chinese, South Koreans and the wife of a French diplomat were among the victims.
"The police and the consular corps are coming out with some strategies to counter (kidnapping) attempts (especially) involving members of the family," Managuelod said without elaborating.
Citing police records, Mendoza said the worst kidnapping incidents occurred in 1998, where a total of 113 incidents involving 102 victims, were recorded.
At least 12 cases were recorded in the last month alone, police records said.
This prompted the PNP to return to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) the function of investigating and solving kidnap-for-ransom cases, which had been primarily assigned to the newly created National Anti-kidnapping Task Force.
Mendoza said the anti-kidnapping task force will concentrate on Luzon and Mindanao because the incidents occur mostly in these areas.
Mendoza said the PNP will just have to contend with the usual intelligence operations in the Visayas region.
He also noted the PNP needs a new strategy on its campaign against illegal drugs, which Gonzales apparently failed to address effectively during his term.
The PNP chief noted that the drug problem continues to worsen despite the raids on three shabu laboratories in Quezon City, Lipa City in Batangas, and in Pasig City.
Interior Secretary Jose Lina, who was present at the press conference, shared Mendoza’s view. "This is aimed at strengthening the national strategy against kidnapping for ransom and drug trafficking," he said.
According to the PNP chief, Galvante will supervise all the anti-kidnapping and anti-criminality operations in Mindanao.
Fernandez’s designation as head of the Narcotics Group is part of the PNP’s plan to expand its anti-narcotics operations.
Last week, the wife of a senior French diplomat and her driver were abducted by heavily armed men in military uniform as they headed to a Manila school to pick up her child.
They were later released unharmed, with police saying it could have been a case of mistaken identity.
Aside from those held by criminal gangs, an American missionary couple and an Italian priest are being held along with a number of Filipinos by various Muslim armed groups in the southern Philippines.
One American hostage was killed by the Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebel group which is linked to Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden, main suspect in the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the US.
In the past, many of the families of the kidnap victims refused to come forward due to suspicions that rogue police or military men were involved in the abductions. – With Marichu Villanueva