Philippine NBI Charges 11, Including 7 Police Officers, over Alleged Kidnap-for-Ransom of a Chinese Businesswoman
The Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced on November 5 that it has filed criminal charges against 11 people, including seven police officers and four civilians, accusing the group of posing as law enforcers in a crackdown on illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and holding a Chinese businesswoman and her companions for ransom in Alfonso, Cavite province.
According to the NBI, the incident took place on October 21, when armed men posing as law-enforcement officers stormed a farm resort in Alfonso, claiming the victims were suspected of running an illegal POGO operation, and detained them.
The victims told investigators the suspects initially demanded 10 million pesos in ransom, then lowered the amount several times to 7 million pesos and demanded payment in cryptocurrency.
The charges filed by the NBI include kidnapping for ransom, robbery with violence and usurpation of authority. The case will now proceed through the Philippine judicial process.
Kidnapping and extortion cases targeting Chinese citizens in the Philippines have occurred repeatedly in recent years, and the involvement of law-enforcement personnel has drawn particular attention. That seven police officers are among those charged in this case signals an internal effort to purge officers colluding with criminal groups.
Source: National Bureau of Investigation (Philippines
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：菲律宾（资料图，本站档案图）。 / Photo: The Philippines (file photo, GSM archive).
