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EJ Macababbad - The Philippine Star
May 25, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — It won’t be long before the two robbery suspects who recently victimized two Korean nationals at Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig are apprehended, Metro Manila’s police chief said yesterday.
According to National Capital Region Police Office chief Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin, with a few more positive steps, the suspects will soon be languishing in jail.
“NCRPO pledges: you will pay for your crime,” he said.
The Korean embassy has warned its citizens of a “deteriorating crime situation” in the Philippines, citing the frequent cases of “armed robberies, deaths, abductions and other serious crimes against Korean nationals.”
In the BGC case, which occurred on May 18, two motorcycle-riding suspects snatched the designer bags of two Korean nationals along 9th Avenue.
After backtracking and persuading the victims to file a complaint, authorities identified the suspects, who had previous cases of car theft and robbery. They were charged before the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday.
Statistics from South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reveal that more than 3,000 Koreans have been victimized in the Philippines over the past five years, according to a report by the Maeil Business Newspaper.
Recent incidents highlighted by the ministry include the kidnapping of a South Korean on May 2, who was en route to Nasugbu, Batangas, for a fishing trip. About seven to 10 armed captors eventually freed the victim after three days.
Another incident is the killing of a Korean tourist at Korean Town in Angeles City, Pampanga, on April 21.
The tourist was standing in front of a bank that afternoon when two motorcycle-riding men approached him and snatched his bag. When the victim resisted, he was shot in the torso.
Korean embassy officials have met twice with government officials in one week to discuss strengthening security measures for Korean nationals.
Consul-General Sang Seung-man appealed in the May 16 meeting for “strong reinforcement in enhancing the safety of the Korean communities in addressing the alarming violent crimes targeting Korean nationals, both residents and visitors alike,” according to a press release from the Presidential Communications Office.
At the May 22 meeting, Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, executive director of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, told Korean delegates that the government would adopt their recommendations, including the installation of multilingual safety signages in airports, transport hubs and hotels; incorporating a training course on tourist security management for all police recruits and providing training for village watchmen in municipalities with high tourist arrivals.
Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., deputy chief for administration of the Philippine National Police, said the suspects in the April 21 incident have already been apprehended and are now under the custody of the PNP.
Col. Rodel Pastor, the new officer in charge of the Taguig police, told The STAR on Friday that authorities have ramped up police visibility in the BGC area.
Over 100 officers, he said, are now assigned to the Fort Bonifacio police substation, which covers BGC and adjacent areas.
Besides Koreans, Japanese nationals were also targeted along 9th Avenue.
On the afternoon of April 13, two 42-year-old men, both production engineers at a tire company residing in Pampanga, were walking along 9th Avenue when two armed men snatched their wallets and phones.
One of the victims had ¥50,000 (approximately P19,400) in his wallet, while the other possessed a Google Pixel 7a and iPad Mini 6, totaling ¥145,000 (approximately P56,300).
The suspects, both from Pasay, are part of the notorious Brondial criminal group. They have been charged with two counts of robbery on April 22.
