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When Philippine authorities reported last week the kidnapping of a 14-year-old male, Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla was quick to say that this was no ordinary case. Kidnappers cut a part of the teen’s right pinky finger, and the victim was rescued by police at a street in Parañaque City.
The kidnapping, perpetrated allegedly by Chinese abductors, was related to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), according to Remulla.
“We suspect that the victim came from a family that previously operated a POGO. We are definite that syndicates behind the abduction are also former POGO operators. We are sure that the syndicate is still here in the country,” said Remulla.
A contrary narrative also came quick in the Manila Times that published a story citing a source who said that the teen was not rescued by police, but was instead turned over to them after a $1-million ransom was paid.
“It’s an ongoing operation. Full details to be disclosed very soon. Safe to say the informant remains on background. I’m putting my name on the line. We are close to solving this case,” Remulla told Rappler on Tuesday, March 5, when asked about the newspaper report.
“We will stand by the statement made by our SILG (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government) that it was a rescue operation and no ransom was paid. That word of our SILG will suffice to be a lie to all these rumors,” Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said.
POGOs and kidnapping
Remulla said that the syndicate behind the kidnapping had also been operating POGOs since 2016. And since they were banned, some of the operators remained here and entered these operations. This syndicate rose in January, after the POGOs’ closure, they ventured into kidnapping,” said Remulla.
Police did not arrest any suspect.
PNP Anti-kidnapping group (AKG) chief Police Colonel Elmer Ragay said the syndicate mainly operates in Luzon — with traces in Metro Manila to Angeles City in Pampanga, up to further North Luzon. Ragay said that as early as 2003, some members of the syndicates were already arrested, but several of them still remain at large and continue operating.
Police have a matrix that shows interconnections of at least five groups all run by foreigners. However, not all five are related to POGOs, Ragay clarified.
In 2024, there were at least 32 incidents of kidnapping, and at least eight of those were related to POGOs because the victims were former POGO employees, said Ragay.
In 2025, two kidnapping incidents out of a total eight, so far, are believed to be connected to POGOs. All the victims of kidnapping this year — including the teen — have been released. Police have been able to solve five of the eight.
A way to blame Duterte?
Aside from a crackdown on POGOs, which was a regulatory invention in the time of former president Rodrigo Duterte, the Marcos government, particularly Interior Secretary Remulla, has also scrutinized what became of the Philippine National Police (PNP) under the Duterte strongman rule.
In the Palace briefing, Remulla said the teen’s kidnappers had protection from former bodyguards who used to be either with the police force or the armed forces. The retired uniformed personnel allegedly provided cover for the kidnapping, but Remulla couldn’t say how many guards were involved citing confidentiality.
Remulla was asked during the Palace briefing whether the alleged POGO connection was to be blamed on the Duterte administration because of the interconnections of the police, POGOs, and crimes.
“We have no aspersions to that effect. What we said was these kidnappers came from POGOs. So, wherever they came from, whoever gave their licenses is immaterial to us. What is material is where they came from, who they are, what they used to do, and what they’re doing now,” Remulla said.
The PNP was put under more heat when on March 1 — just days after joining Remulla for the Palace briefing on the teen’s kidnapping — Ragay was relieved from his post.
PNP chief Rommel Marbil relieved Ragay, following reports and social media posts that questioned the legality of the teen’s rescue. He explained that although the PNP brands the operation a success, a review must be done to answer the public’s questions.
In less than a week, Ragay’s relief was recalled supposedly to follow an election rule that prohibits the transfer of public officials, including PNP personnel, during the election period. Fajardo said Ragay’s reinstatement will not affect their probe into the kidnapping incident, as AKG was not part of the investigating team.
“Our investigation is ongoing because we have to make it clear that the investigation does not only involve [Police Colonel] Ragay, this involves the whole operation [that] was initiated by the AKG,” Fajardo said.
The kidnapping
Remulla said the teen’s parents found out at 3:45 pm on February 20 that their son had not come home yet, despite being dismissed from school at 2:40 pm. Later, the teen’s car service was found abandoned off ramp along C5 road’s southbound lane.
The parents reported the incident the next day. Investigatigating authorities found the family driver dead in another vehicle in San Rafael, Bulacan, north of Metro Manila.
“That vehicle yielded information regarding the syndicate which operates in this manner. Now, the contents of that include pictures, conversations, cellphone numbers, strategies, casings of how they would do the job. Now the driver is already deceased so he cannot be considered a person of interest,” Remulla said.
The perpetrators later communicated with the family and demanded a $20-million ransom, but the parents declined. On February 22, the perpetrators sent a video to the family showing the teen’s finger being cut. The next day, after requesting for proof of life, the kidnappers sent a video to the family, which showed the teen singing his younger sibling’s favorite song.
On February 24, the PNP AKG traced the abductor’s cellphone signal.
“You have to understand that this group is very sophisticated. The place where they made the phone calls and the teen’s location were different, and they used plenty of phone numbers,” Remulla said.
Early afternoon on February 25, authorities traced and followed the perpetrators’ phone signal, only to then find the teen in his pajamas with his hands bound, standing in the middle of a street.
“The choice was pursuing the vehicle or securing the child. Obviously, the AKG prioritized the kid,” the interior chief explained.
Philippine authorities reiterated that the teen’s parents did not pay for the ransom money, even though the motive is primarily about finances.
“It’s just money, that’s really all. There’s no revenge. There’s no revenge; they were just a crime syndicate,” said Remulla. – Rappler.com
