Quezon City, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has dismissed allegations that kidnapping cases in the country are being underreported. The law enforcement agency clarified that it has recorded 20 kidnapping cases since the beginning of this year.
According to a news release by Philippines News Agency, director of PNP's Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), during a press briefing at Camp Crame, 15 of the 20 cases have been resolved, while the remaining are still under investigation. Abrenica noted that most of the victims in these cases are Chinese nationals.
PNP Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. emphasized that there are circumstances where information about kidnapping cases is not disclosed to the public, often due to requests from the victims' families. This statement comes in response to a column written by former Press Secretary Rigoberto Tiglao, which claimed that the Filipino-Chinese community is increasingly concerned about kidnappings. Tiglao's column, titled "Chinese businessmen spooked by kidnappings," cited sources from the Filipino-Chinese community who alleged that kidnapping incidents are "grossly underreported."
In the briefing, Abrenica urged the public to cooperate with the police. "We are paying close attention to these cases and we are ensuring a smooth flow of investigation. It could be that there are some cases that are really not reported to us so we are not able to address it. This is why we encourage those who have information to coordinate with us," he said.