Philippine police recently successfully rescued a 14-year-old Chinese exchange student who had been kidnapped and brutally mutilated by kidnappers. The victim has undergone surgery. The victim's mother insists that their family has no connection with the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) and believes that the family driver was the real target of the criminals.
The Chinese student, who attends the British School in Manila, disappeared after school on February 20, and the police successfully rescued the victim on the evening of February 25 along a highway in Barangay Caloocan City. The kidnappers negotiated with the victim's family through WeChat, demanding a ransom of 20 million US dollars.
Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Fahada stated that the victim's family ultimately did not pay the ransom, consistent with the police's firm stance against compromising with kidnappers. She pointed out: "The cooperation of the family is crucial for the investigation of the case. Without their cooperation, we might not have been able to successfully rescue the victim."
Although the victim's family denies any connection with POGO, the police are still investigating their background and suspect that the case may be related to gambling industry debt disputes. Fahada revealed: "Preliminary investigations show that the victim's family was involved in the offshore gaming industry. We are exploring the possibility that internal debt disputes within this industry could trigger kidnappings."
The police believe that the criminal group responsible for the kidnapping may consist of former POGO workers and their bodyguards, some of whom were formerly affiliated with the Philippine National Police or the Armed Forces but later deserted their posts.
"As the government orders a complete ban on POGO, many former workers have lost their source of income, and we suspect some of them have turned to kidnapping and extortion, targeting those who owe large debts," Fahada explained. She added that the police are tracking down the suspects and focusing on former military and police personnel who may be colluding with the kidnappers.
The Philippine offshore gaming industry was initially aimed at attracting Chinese gamblers and was seen as a source of tax revenue. However, as the industry has continually been exposed for human trafficking, fraud, money laundering, kidnapping, and even murder, President Marcos officially ordered a complete ban on POGO operations last year.
This kidnapping case has once again raised concerns about POGO and its derivative crimes. The police stated that they will continue to track down the masterminds behind the scenes and strengthen the fight against illegal organizations to maintain public order in the Philippines.
