The Philippine police disclosed that around 1 AM on the 21st, a Chinese citizen was kidnapped while fishing with his compatriots near the Bustos Dam on the Angat River in Barangay Tibagan, Bustos, Bulacan, adjacent to northern Metro Manila. It is alleged that this Chinese individual has connections with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.
Initial reports indicated that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom from the victim's relatives and friends. At a press conference held earlier today at Camp Crame, Philippine National Police spokesperson and head of the Public Information Office, Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo confirmed this. She stated that the victim's relatives and friends had paid approximately 5 million pesos in ransom, but the hostage has not yet been released; the ransom was paid in two installments.
Fajardo mentioned that the case of the 33-year-old male Chinese victim has been transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Group of the PNP. One of the challenges faced by the Anti-Kidnapping Group is that the victim's relatives and friends paid the ransom outside the Philippine jurisdiction or through cryptocurrency, making it impossible for the Anti-Kidnapping Group to trace the kidnappers' money flow.
"This is why the Anti-Kidnapping Group is now in contact with foreign counterparts to determine where the paid ransom went, at least to trace where the two installments paid yesterday ended up," added Fajardo.
"The victim was identified to have connections with an online gambling company. We are working to verify whether his companion is involved or at least associated with the online gambling business," said Jean Fajardo at the press conference held at Camp Crame in Quezon City, Metro Manila.
The PNP Police Regional Office 3 in Central Luzon is currently investigating the identity of the kidnappers, in order to possibly apprehend them and rescue the hostage.
Witnesses stated that the victim was with other Chinese citizens at the time, and later four unidentified men took the victim into a vehicle; afterwards, the kidnappers' vehicle took a detour on the road towards Barangay Bonga Menor to escape.
Four hours after the incident, the 28-year-old live-in partner of the Chinese man reported to the Bustos Municipal Police Station and stated that she received a message from the hostage's cousin, claiming that the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 300,000 US dollars (approximately 17.3 million pesos).
It appears that the 5 million pesos paid by the hostage's relatives and friends to the kidnappers was merely seen as an initial installment of the ransom, hence the hostage was not released.
Preliminary police reports indicate that the victim owed a debt of 15 million pesos to a Chinese man named Yuzhi Wang, suggesting that the case might have been triggered by a debt dispute.
Without a doubt, the people who kidnapped this Chinese individual, or the mastermind behind it, are 100% Chinese.
Additionally, the victim was previously kidnapped in 2020 in Clark, Pampanga, and was released after paying a ransom of 1 million pesos.
