On April 7, 2025, at noon, a real-life "Fast and Furious" scene unfolded on the CAVITEX highway in the Philippines—a Philippine Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) police van transporting prisoners was suddenly ambushed by armed attackers, gunfire erupted, and the convoy was intercepted, leaving one jail officer critically injured.
The attack targeted a Chinese national, a notorious criminal known as the "Manila Seven Brother"—Hu Yang.
A well-planned "rescue operation": The truth gradually emerges
On the day of the incident, BJMP was escorting Hu Yang from the Makati court back to the Parañaque City Jail when they were ambushed. Two suspicious vehicles suddenly stopped the prison van, triggering a shootout. Four escort officers fought back, with one officer shot in the right shoulder and urgently taken to the hospital.
After the attack, one of the involved vehicles escaped, while the other crashed into a tree near Parañaque Wetland Park. Police subsequently arrested two Chinese suspects and four Filipino accomplices nearby.
Preliminary investigations revealed that this was a meticulously planned rescue operation. Police confirmed that the target prisoner, Hu Yang, was involved in major cases, including multiple kidnappings, arms smuggling, and extortion cases, linked to the 2022 Makati kidnapping and the 2023 carjacking incident.
Gang mercenaries reveal insider information: Jailbreak reward only 25,000 pesos
The arrested Filipino suspects confessed to the police that they each received only 25,000 pesos (about 3,200 RMB), hardly sufficient for such a high-risk jailbreak task. The two Chinese suspects refused to speak, only claiming "no English" as a reason not to cooperate with the investigation.
Currently, the six individuals are detained at the Parañaque City Police Station, facing multiple charges including attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms, violation of drug laws, and election laws. This case also exposes severe security flaws in the Philippine prison system in escorting major criminals.
The truth revealed: Netizens slam "Seven Brother Hu Yang's" notorious past
After the case was exposed, the Filipino Chinese community was in an uproar. Many netizens recognized the kidnapped individual as the legendary "Manila's top kidnapper"—Hu Yang, also known as "Old Seven" or "Seven Brother".
Netizens dug up his extensive criminal record: Since 2022, Hu Yang has been involved in kidnapping, extortion, drug abuse, illegal possession of firearms, violent debt collection, and protection racketeering in the Philippines. He also threatened employees to install surveillance equipment and controlled gambling operations. Not only has he committed numerous crimes, but he is also suspected of colluding with Philippine law enforcement officers, repeatedly using fake identities to escape legal sanctions.
Review: Hu Yang's involvement in "BMW shooting case" and "high-profile kidnapping case"
In September 2024, Hu Yang was also implicated in the "BMW shooting case" on Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City. After a collision between a Honda Odyssey and a BMW, a shootout ensued, and multiple firearms and knives were recovered at the scene. Hu Yang was arrested on the spot but allegedly used bribes to change his name to "Lin Zi Hao" and was soon "mysteriously disappeared".
Earlier, in August 2024, the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group issued a warrant for Hu Yang and his accomplices for kidnapping two Chinese women, demanding a ransom of 50 million pesos. Although the hostages were successfully rescued, the suspects were ultimately not brought to justice.
Conclusion: Hu Yang's arrest, will the dark curtain finally fall?
From urban shootouts to dramatic prison breaks, from social media revelations to judicial system flaws, Hu Yang's "Philippine gangster legend" is almost a microcosm of the local underground criminal network. Does his arrest truly mean the end of this dark chain? Will there still be "mysterious forces" that could fish him out again?
This incident has attracted high attention in the Philippines, and we will continue to follow the development of the case and reveal more truths.
