The Philippine National Police (PNP) recently reported that the key figure suspected of planning and leading the kidnapping and murder of Chinese businessman Anson Que, known as "Kelly Tan Lim" — or Gong Wenli (transliteration), was last seen at the famous tourist destination, Boracay Island.
According to police sources, Gong Wenli is one of the main suspects in the case, accused of coordinating the receipt and transfer of a ransom amounting to 200 million pesos. The police noted that this ransom was paid by the Guo family to secure the personal safety of Anson Que and his driver.
PNP spokesperson Joanna Fahardo stated that the ransom was initially split through two casino intermediaries and injected into at least ten different electronic wallet accounts, then quickly converted into cryptocurrencies to evade tracking of the funds.
The recipients of the ransom involved multiple accounts with complex identities, including individuals named Lin Mouyu, Deng Mouzhi, Lin Ning, and others, and through another organization, funds were transferred to suspects Luo Mouhui and Ruan Moudong. Additionally, a sum was transferred into an account under the name Ni Mouhui, who was reportedly arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation for a spying case.
The police emphasized that due to the anonymity and lack of identity verification mechanisms in cryptocurrency transactions, tracking down the case faces significant challenges. PNP Chief Marbil stated, "Once the money is transferred into a crypto wallet, it's like it has evaporated from reality."
Investigations revealed that part of the ransom eventually flowed to an organization called "Jiuding Group," whose behind-the-scenes boss — a Fujian-born Chinese named Wang Liduan (also known as Mark Wang), had once applied for Philippine citizenship.
The Senate had passed his citizenship application with 19 votes in favor and one against, cast by Senator Hong Zhiwei Luos. The House of Representatives also passed it with over 200 votes. However, President Marcos Jr. vetoed the bill on April 11 this year, citing national security concerns raised about his background.
The police have currently identified five suspects in the case, three of whom — David Tan Liao, Ricardo Austria, and Remat Cartaquesta have been arrested. The remaining two fugitives are Jonin Lin and Gong Wenli (Kelly Tan Lim), the latter also using multiple aliases, including Bao Wenli, Axin, and Huang Yanling.
Additionally, the police revealed that during the investigation in Boracay Island, two Chinese nationals were briefly detained and assisted in questioning to determine their connection with Gong Wenli.
According to preliminary information disclosed by the national police, Guo Rongxian, the son of Anson Que, acted as the negotiator after his father's kidnapping, transferring 10 million and 13 million pesos to designated electronic wallets on March 31 and April 2, respectively.
The police emphasized that the case is still under thorough investigation, with the goal of completely clarifying all involved networks and masterminds behind the scenes.
