PNP records 8 kidnapping cases in 2025; all involving foreigners
Interior Sec. Jonvic Remulla answers questions from the media during a Palace press briefing in Manila in this file photo taken on January 13, 2025. 黑料社 / RYAN LEAGOGO
MANILA, Philippines — All eight kidnapping cases recorded in 2025 involved foreigners, said Interior Sec. Jonvic Remulla on Wednesday.
Remulla made the pronouncement during a Palace press conference where he announced that the Philippine National Police – Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) already dealt with eight kidnapping incidents this year.
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“All foreigners, as far as we can see, it is always foreigner against foreigner, there is no Filipino mastermind in these crimes,” said Remulla in Filipino when asked about the details of the eight kidnapping cases recorded.
The interior chief attributed these cases to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos), which was recently barred from operating in the country.
Article continues after this advertisement“This again, in our matrix that we found, this is a result of Pogo operations here since 2016, that they had lucrative means of livelihood and since they were removed from here and the others were left behind, they have entered here, [the kidnapping] rose up in January,” said Remulla partly in Filipino.
Article continues after this advertisement“After all the Pogos were closed, this is where the kidnapping came in,” he added speaking in Filipino.
According to PNP-AKG acting chief PCol. Elmer Ragay, all victims in these kidnapping cases were released and rescued.
In 2024, a total of 32 kidnapping cases were recorded of which 17 were solved by police.
