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Swift justice sought for slain trader, driver

Louella Desiderio, Emmanuel Tupas - The Philippine Star
This content was originally published by The Philippine Star following its editorial guidelines. Philstar.com hosts its content but has no editorial control over it.
Swift justice sought for slain trader, driver
“With outrage and grief, we condemn in the strongest possible terms the heinous, barbaric kidnapping and brutal murders of Mr. Anson Que – a visionary businessman, a pillar of philanthropy – and his driver, whose life was equally precious, equally sacred,” the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. and Philippine Exporters Confederation said in a joint statement.
STAR / File

Business groups demandstronger law enforcement

MANILA, Philippines — Business groups and civic organizations have denounced the kidnapping and murder of Filipino-Chinese steel magnate Anson Que and his driver Armanie Pabillo and called for swift justice and stronger law enforcement.

“With outrage and grief, we condemn in the strongest possible terms the heinous, barbaric kidnapping and brutal murders of Mr. Anson Que – a visionary businessman, a pillar of philanthropy – and his driver, whose life was equally precious, equally sacred,” the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. and Philippine Exporters Confederation said in a joint statement.

“We demand action – swift, unrelenting  and transparent – to bring every perpetrator, conspirator and enabler of this evil to account. Let the wheels of justice turn with ferocious speed and let their verdicts echo as a warning to those who would dare repeat such infamy,” they said.

The groups also emphasized the need for strengthening law enforcement.

“We call for an unyielding reinforcement of the rule of law – not through rhetoric, but through resolute systemic reform,” they said.

The business groups said kidnapping and killing are not merely crimes, “but an assault on the soul of the nation, a grotesque violation of humanity itself, and a declaration of war against the principles of justice, decency and peace that bind us as a society.” The groups said the recent kidnapping was not an isolated incident.

“When criminals believe they may kidnap and slaughter with impunity, when the innocent are sacrificed on the altar of greed and lawlessness, we are no longer merely a society in crisis—we are a society in peril,” the groups said.

They also said these have serious implications on investor confidence, tourism, as well as safety.

Restoring faith in institutions

They also stressed the importance of restoring faith in institutions by proving that no one is above the law.

“The safety of every citizen, every visitor, every resident, every child playing in the streets in the whole Philippines must become non-negotiable,” the groups said.

“An attack on the Philippines’ peace and order is an attack on the stability of our society and our ideals as a democracy,” they added.  The groups vowed to fight continuously for justice for Que and Pabillo and for peace.

“Let the Philippines be known not for the crimes that stain its soil, but for the unshakeable resolve of its citizens to reclaim their dignity, their security and their future,” the groups said.

Anti-crime watchdog Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order, for its part, urged law enforcement authorities to take urgent action to prevent similar crimes.

According to the MRPO, Que’s case was the third kidnapping incident in five weeks.

“We call on agencies of government to take swift and decisive action to restore peace and security,” it said in a statement.

The MRPO also urged the public to refrain from disseminating on social media unverified information as well as photographs and videos related to the case, as doing so could endanger the security of the families of Que and Pabillo.

Police have launched a manhunt for members of a crime syndicate believed to be responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Que and Pabillo.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Marbil yesterday ordered the creation of a special investigation task group (SITG) to ensure swifter probe on the case which has gripped the Filipino-Chinese community already reeling from a spate of kidnapping of its members.

The remains of Que and his driver were found in Barangay Macabud in Rodriguez (formerly Montalban), Rizal on Wednesday. The victims bore bruises as well as ligature or strangulation marks, initial investigation showed.

Palace vows swift action

Malacañang vowed swift justice for the victims. “The directive of the President on these kinds of situations is to focus on them and to investigate them. The persons who are liable should be held liable,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told The STAR during an interview for its online show “Truth on the Line.”

Marbil presided over a case conference yesterday morning with the SITG headed by Lt. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo, the PNP’s chief of directorial staff.

The group’s  lead investigator is Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III. Marbil and Torre visited the site where the victims’ bodies were recovered.

Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, spokesperson for the PNP, said the Central Luzon police, which she heads, as well as the Calabarzon police under Brig. Gen. Paul Kenneth Lucas and the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) are part of the SITG.

Que, also known as Anson Tan and Congyuan Guo, is the owner of Elison Steel in Valenzuela. He was last seen alive with Pabillo on March 29 at around 2 p.m. while heading for Parañaque City for a meeting.

Que’s Lexus LM350 multi-purpose vehicle was found abandoned by operatives of the Highway Patrol Group along Seminary Road  in Barangay Bahay Toro in Quezon City on Wednesday.

Fajardo said the Chinese nationals believed to be involved in the kidnapping and killing of Que and his driver could have Filipino accomplices.

“Part of the investigation is the possible involvement of Filipino citizens with Chinese nationals,” Fajardo said.

Checking CCTVs

Police are reviewing CCTV recordings in areas in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon for leads on the suspects’ identities and whereabouts.

Fajardo said the SITG is also looking into the possibility that Que’s case is related to the banned Philippine offshore gaming operators. She declined to elaborate. She also said the PNP is validating information that the businessman’s family had paid ransom.

A security official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Que’s family gave less than P100 million in ransom money to the kidnappers, in three tranches.

The source said the kidnappers communicated with Que’s family through messaging app WeChat.

The fact that Que was killed despite the payment of ransom had raised questions regarding the suspects’ real motive, the PNP spokesperson said. “It’s part of our investigation – if kidnapping was really the main objective, and why it had to end up with deaths,” she said.

She also said Marbil sacked AKG director Brig. Gen. Elmer Ragay Wednesday night because “he is not satisfied” with the way the kidnapping case was handled. Marbil named Col. David Poklay, the CIDG’s deputy director for operations, as Ragay’s replacement.

Soldiers nabbed

Fajardo also announced the arrest of four military personnel after they were reported suspiciously trailing a Chinese national in San Simon, Pampanga on Tuesday.

Fajardo said cases for violation of Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition, in connection with the nationwide election gun ban, were filed against the soldiers. She did not name the soldiers.

The unnamed Chinese national, meanwhile, filed a case of unjust vexation and grave threat against the military personnel who are reportedly members of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines or ISAFP. The PNP spokesperson said police responded to a call for assistance from a person, whom she did not identify, who alerted of the suspicious activities of the suspects on his trail on board a Toyota Innova.

When law enforcers saw the vehicle parked at a gasoline station, they approached it and shot its tires when they saw one of its passengers pull out a gun. The vehicle managed to leave the area but was intercepted along Quezon Road. After a brief exchange of gunfire, one of the soldiers was hit in the neck. He was brought to the hospital for treatment while the other three were arrested.

Based on initial investigation, Fajardo said the military personnel had been following the Chinese trader for five days before they were caught.

“We were checking what these active soldiers were up to and why they were following the subject that led to their arrest,” Fajardo told reporters. She said they were coordinating with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to get more information about the soldiers.

Marcos Jr. not soft on crime

In her interview with The STAR, Castro also refuted allegations by critics that the President is soft on crime. “The government is not sleeping on these kinds of situations,” she said. “It just happened that President Marcos has a different approach... What President Marcos is doing is to take action, not just talk,” she pointed out.

“If the majority of the people see how he acts and how he issues orders, you would see how strong he is as a leader. He doesn’t demonstrate it through words. He really gives orders and focuses on them,” she stressed. - Alexis Romero, Ed Amoroso

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