According to a Senate report, the Philippine National Police (PNP) needs to regularly implement "Oplan Sita" at checkpoints for foreigners, especially in areas identified by local authorities as kidnapping hotspots.
This recommendation is included in a 40-page report compiled by the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, which investigated a series of kidnapping incidents in the country.
Under the proposal, police would be allowed to "inspect and verify the identities of random foreigners, especially in kidnapping-prone areas identified by local territorial units." The group also suggests that the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group undergo foreign language training courses, including Chinese and Malay.
It also seeks a review of the implementation of firearms laws, "to ensure that foreigners cannot possess and use firearms," and a thorough study of the benefits of restoring the government's on-arrival visa policy.
All these and other recommended administrative and legislative actions are in line with the committee's findings, which linked several kidnapping cases and other crimes to Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos).
"Our country seems to have become a haven for Chinese gamblers," the group lamented, as it likened Pogos to a large bookmaker facilitating gaming bets.
The committee also found it shocking that "these Chinese foreigners treat our streets as their playground for thuggish activities." "It's as if they're saying, because they bring a lot of money to this country, they are above the law and can do whatever they want," the committee noted. But is it all worth it? the group asked.
"The Philippines might have been too lucky in accommodating online gambling," the committee stated. "Our government now must pull out all the stops to combat the social ills brought by gambling."
"This is a good opportunity to show the world that the Philippine government will not succumb to organized crime—we always go all out in fighting them," the committee further stated. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has already ordered an immediate ban on all gambling companies, citing the "chaos" they cause to society.
