PNP: Only 45 kidnap cases, not 71

The Philippine National Police (PNP) clarified yesterday that only 45 Chinese-Filipinos have been kidnapped since January, taking exception to allegations made by Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos that 71 have been kidnapped.

"In fact, the reported 55 cases with 71 victims recorded for the period from Jan. 1 to Oct. 12, 2006, involved missing persons, staged abductions, false reports and foiled kidnappings," PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr pointed out.

He said the PNP would submit copies of the report made by the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER) and Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) detailing the kidnapping statistics in the country.

Marcos, citing a report from the Citizens Action against Crime and the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order, said Monday that a total of 71 Chinese Filipinos have been kidnapped since January this year, involving P614 million in ransom demands, P23.2 million of which was paid.

Marcos said the trend is "highly disturbing," pointing out the PNP and other anti-crime agencies made contrary claims in saying that they have crushed and neutralized all kidnap-for-ransom syndicates.

She said the Filipino-Chinese community "is very much disappointed with how the Arroyo administration is waging the war against crime."

Malacañang said the government has prioritized its campaign against kidnap-for-ransom groups.

"The fight against kidnap-for-ransom syndicates continues to be a top priority of the President and the police and the authorities have been ordered to intensify their campaign against kidnapping," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.

Bunye, however, refused to comment on the threats by some opposition lawmakers to scrap the P500 million budget of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PACC) in its alleged failure to neutralize kidnap-for-ransom groups and other crime syndicates.

PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon said people are now becoming vigilant by reporting all incidents of kidnapping to the police.

In the detailed report, the PNP and PACER said there were only 34 cases of kidnapping for ransom, with 45 victims from January to October this year.

The other 21 cases involved abduction with other reasons, missing persons, "kidnap-me," false reports and foiled kidnapping.

Of the 34 cases, 18 incidents were recorded in Metro Manila, eight in Luzon, seven in Mindanao and only one in Visayas.

"On the ransom demand, the PNP recorded a total of P797.45 million, slightly higher than the reported figure of P614 million. The PNP also recorded P23.2 million ransom paid from January to October," Pagdilao said.

Pagdilao pointed out the statistics of kidnapping for ransom this year has an average of 3.7 percent in a month, or 1.2 percent lower than the monthly average in the previous year.

PACER records showed a total of 49 kidnapping for ransom incidents were reported from July 1, 2005 to May 17, 2006. Out of this figure, 11 cases were solved, registering a crime solution efficiency rating of 22.45 percent. — With Paolo Romero