MANILA, Philippines — The number of kidnapping cases in the country increased by three percent last year, the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) reported over the weekend.
Data from the AKG showed that 69 Filipinos and foreigners were kidnapped in 2018, higher by 2.98 percent compared to 2017 when there were 67 victims.
Of the number, 27 are foreigners while 42 are Filipinos. A majority of the foreigners kidnapped are Chinese with 17 followed by Indonesians with four and two Indians. The rest are Taiwanese, Nigerian, Japanese and Malaysian with one each.
Thirty-eight of the victims were kidnapped in Mindanao by the extremist Abu Sayyaf and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. Luzon followed with 30 cases while one was reported in the Visayas.
Meanwhile, the number of Chinese nationals who were kidnapped increased by 112.5 percent compared to only eight in 2017.
AKG spokesman Superintendent Elmer Cereno said a majority of the Chinese citizens are victims of loan shark syndicates.
Loan sharks would usually entice Chinese gamblers to borrow money at casinos. If the victims could not pay, they would be held until they pay ransom.
“If you lose in gambling and you cannot pay, they would simply snatch you and force you to call your relatives in China to pay ransom,” Cereno said.
Meanwhile, the number of Filipinos kidnapped last year increased by 16.66 percent, from 36 in 2017 to 42 last year. A majority were from Mindanao with 33 followed by eight in Luzon and one in Visayas.
The places with the most number of kidnapping incidents are in Sulu province with 10 followed by Parañaque City with six and Manila with four reported cases.