A confidential source within the Philippine police revealed to The Manila Times that the "rescue" of a 14-year-old Chinese student from the British School of Manila was not a heroic police operation, but a pre-arranged handover with a ransom of one million US dollars.
The source stated that a businessman, allegedly connected to the victim's family, provided the one million US dollar ransom to secure the teenager's release.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has yet to release a report, which includes a sworn statement from the dismissed head of the Anti-Kidnapping Group, Elmer Ragay. This further suggests that the high-profile "rescue" operation might have been a farce. The report has not been made public yet, but it raises serious questions about the roles played by senior police officials and even high-ranking government officials in this case.
According to a report submitted to Philippine General Rommel Francisco Marbil, there is no clear evidence that the police actually rescued the boy from the kidnappers as previously claimed by the Anti-Kidnapping Group.
Instead, Ragay's sworn statement indicates that the victim was taken from a private residence in Parañaque City, where several senior police officers and a government official were present, and then handed over to his family.
The CIDG report states: "On February 25, 2025, the Anti-Kidnapping Group did not find the victim at the end of Macapagal Avenue. The victim was not rescued but was released somewhere and was picked up by Elmer Ragay and Jonathan Calixto on the street outside the residence. This is also why no arrests were made."
On February 21, 2025, the victim and his driver were kidnapped in broad daylight while driving home from school in a black Toyota Alphard. Later, the vehicle was found abandoned in Barangay San Roque, San Rafael, Bulacan, with the driver murdered, but the boy and his kidnappers had disappeared.
At 1:35 AM the next day, the kidnappers sent a message via the encrypted social app Telegram, demanding a ransom of up to 20 million US dollars. For this, they chopped off the little finger of the victim's right hand.
Negotiations continued over the next few days, and the kidnappers eventually lowered their demand to 250,000 US dollars. However, it is alleged that a more significant deal was being made behind the scenes. Allegedly, an unnamed businessman provided one million US dollars in ransom, paving the way for this kidnapping case. Now, this kidnapping case has been revealed as a pre-arranged ransom exchange, not a heroic police action.
The Anti-Kidnapping Group initially reported that the boy was rescued on February 25 at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park.
The contradictions described in the Anti-Kidnapping Group's report prompted Marbil to initiate an internal investigation, leading to Ragay's sudden dismissal.
However, Ragay's dismissal seems to be just the beginning, as three police generals are now under scrutiny, with insiders suggesting that even higher-level officials might be implicated.
A senior official revealed that when Marbil discovered the inconsistencies in the rescue operation, he felt "very angry and surprised." The source said: "He realized that the operation was a scam—he felt deceived."
The CIDG's report states that on the night of the so-called victim's rescue, a senior government official, two senior police officers, and the chief of the Taguig City Police Station arrived at a residence in Marina Bay East, Parañaque City—later, the victim Wan and his uncle were seen there. This contradicts the official claim that the boy was found near Macapagal Avenue, further fueling suspicions of a cover-up at the highest levels.
On February 26, Interior Minister Jovic Remulla held a press conference at Malacañang Palace, announcing the news of the hostage's rescue. But since no suspects were arrested, the press conference not only failed to alleviate public concerns but deepened them.
Legislators and human rights organizations are now calling for an independent investigation, fearing that the truth may never be revealed without external oversight.
The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs was scheduled to investigate this case on March 3. However, due to opposition from some senators, the investigation was postponed. Committee chairman Ronald dela Rosa was campaigning in Taguig City yesterday.
Clearly, the report and the CIDG's report mentioned in it will not be the end of this farce. Currently, the Interior Minister Remulla, who initially rushed to post the initial case report on his Facebook page, has deleted his post. Apparently, he, who repeatedly claimed that not a penny of ransom was paid, has been publicly embarrassed.
In this farce, the police, the hostage's relatives and friends, and the kidnappers alike, all coincidentally benefited from spreading false information. As for the truth, it is believed that there will ultimately be no definitive conclusion.
