EDITORIAL - A scourge returns

In Cavite the other day, lawmen gunned down five suspected kidnappers and rescued the three victims. In Metro Manila, police teams are hunting down kidnappers who are holding several captives. Over in Cotabato City, the Chinese-Filipino community lamented their lack of protection from kidnapping gangs. The statement was issued by the Cotabato City Chinese Chamber of Commerce shortly after kidnappers released the wife of a businessman reportedly in exchange for a hefty ransom.

This scourge tends to spread quickly. When crooks sense that authorities are letting down their guard, kidnapping becomes rampant. This was the case in the 1990s, when members of the Chinese Filipino community in Metro Manila were also the principal targets. In Basilan and Sulu during the heyday of the Abu Sayyaf, kidnapping for ransom was the most lucrative industry, with the bandits grabbing victims from as far away as Malaysia. The late Ghalib Andang, a.k.a. Commander Robot, reportedly earned at least $30 million from a single caper targeting foreigners. Kidnapping was so profitable even government and military officials were widely believed to have shared in the Abu Sayyaf’s loot.

Andang lost his leg and subsequently his life, but his group’s coddlers were never officially identified or punished. The Abu Sayyaf has since been decimated because of a relentless military pursuit backed by US resources. But other parts of Mindanao remain lawless, providing a safe haven for bandits who are now staging kidnappings.

Previous experience has shown that decisive police action can neutralize this menace, if not for good, then at least long enough to restore people’s confidence in the capability of the government to keep the public safe. In the 1990s, members of kidnapping rings were arrested or killed in what police described as armed encounters. Special police units were formed to deal exclusively with kidnapping cases. A special unit still exists and must do its job. This scourge must be nipped in the bud.