How to avoid being kidnapped
Don’t talk about politics. This is also not the time to discuss moral values or religion. When talking with kidnappers, stay away from any topic that might be controversial. If the kidnappers’ requests are reasonable, then cooperate. Put on your blindfold, sit down or stand up … and address them respectfully.
Although your initial reaction might be to panic and fight back, tell yourself to calm down. If you think you can escape, then do so but if the odds of you dying in the attempt are high, then breathe gently and let your captors know that you want to stay alive. Chances are that you will be pushed into a car, blindfolded, gagged and tied.
For relatives, receiving the news that one of your family members has been kidnapped is frightening. The first thing you can do is call Pacer, 727-0000. Although many citizens hesitate to call in the police, past victims of the kidnap-for-ransom gangs (KFRG) talk very highly of the Pacer Team. Once you put your trust in them, they will guide you through the steps on how to recover your kidnapped loved one.
Stay away from the media. A news blackout could save your relative’s life. “These challenges are real, they are serious and happening today,” a victim said as he related his frightening experience. “I was kidnapped by seven men. I resisted and one of the bullets grazed my forehead, causing me to bleed. A tricycle driver reported the incident to the barangay and the media picked up the story. The news coverage made me seem so rich, so the kidnappers felt I was even more valuable. For 17 days I was chained, blindfolded and watched by three men. After 10 days, my family paid a ransom, which the KFRG accepted, but they did not release me. Fortunately, the Pacer team rescued me a week later.”
“If you ask me if there are any kidnapping cases today, I will deny it,” says Sen. Supt. Edgar Iglesia of the Pacer group. Better known as “Wed” because he was born on a Wednesday, his first rule is to keep away from the media but he is eager to get the support of the community so he granted this interview. “The people calling the hotlines are usually concerned citizens who give us information regarding suspicious people that they suspect are involved in kidnapping,” he says.
Yes, there are instances when ex-military or police are involved, but most of the time the kidnappers are civilians. Supt. Wed relates an instance when a group was headed by a chief inspector of the police. “It happened last year. The motive was to kill a person and the mastermind happened to hire a man from the KFR group. So, before they killed the victim, they demanded a ransom. The victim was already dead but they told the family that he was still alive. We arrested them and the case is still under litigation.”
“We are police officers and we receive the same salary as teachers so it is very small,” Wed continues. “Some people may be tempted to do a criminal act, but why would you indulge in a very bad crime when there are other sources of income? There are about 200 Pacer members and most of them are honest police.”
From a high of 99 cases in 2001, the number of kidnap-for-ransom cases this year has dropped to 28, but the Christmas season is coming up and the count may still rise. Terrorist acts or those who are kidnapped for prostitution are not included in this count because the Pacer team only monitors cases where the kidnappers want to exchange money for the victim.
Details on how to handle a KFR situation are confidential and can only be revealed in Pacer seminars, but some preventive measures are recommended. Since 98 percent of KFR gangs have tipsters within the family, Iglesia suggests that one of your family members be appointed as the “security agent.” This person would have a file of photos of members of the family and those of your staff. Make sure your pictures have been taken recently, unlike the instance when a senior citizen had to produce a photo of his wife and all he had was their wedding photo. Your security file would also include photos and names of your employees. Knowing your helpers as “Inday” and “Manong” are not enough.
Today, having access to a million pesos could be enough for KFRG to think of you as a prospect. Your ability to pay quickly (within 24 to 48 hours) and your refusal to contact the police are factors that would encourage the KFRG to identify you as a possible victim. These gangs are methodical in their planning. They have a spotter/tipster whose job is to locate the targets for the group. Chances are that this spotter will monitor your movements and even apply to work with you. Sometimes they befriend one of your employees and their skill in courting even your most trusted helpers will provide them with the information they need. Questions like what color your credit card is can reveal your financial status to spotters. Knowing what route you take each morning to your tennis game will alert them. When the kidnappers decide to execute their plan, the gang, with the help of their informer, will snatch their victim in a way that would arouse the least attention from the public.
In November 2003, Betty Chua Sy, an executive of the Coca-Cola export corporation, apparently resisted her attackers by refusing to unlock her car doors. They shot her through her car windows and dumped her body along Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard. Wed calls this decision a judgment call: if you think you can escape, then do so. Otherwise, just follow the kidnapper’s instructions. He relates that according to the victims, the easiest time to escape is when you are being transported from the abduction site to their hideout.
The time will come when Supt. Wed and his Pacer team will “neutralize” most of the KFRG members. They have done it with the arrest of Cesar Amado, the fourth most-wanted kidnapper, who provided the information that led to the solution of the Betty Chua Sy kidnap/murder case. Even now, the groups doing the kidnappings are remnants of former gangs because their masterminds have all been captured or killed.
Six months ago, five suspected kidnappers brought their 22-year-old victim to a hideout in Urdaneta City. After Pacer tipped off the local police, police prepared to go to the hideout to rescue the victim. The suspects fired on the police, causing a gun battle that killed all five of the suspects. Thanks to the work of Pacer, all of the victims they’ve rescued were alive and saved. “There have been victims that died,” explains Wed. “This year one, last year two, and the year before two, but none of them died during the rescue.”
The truth is that kidnapping for ransom in the Philippines has generated cash for the criminals. This year, the KFR statistics show that P17 million has been paid, but 41 of the kidnappers were killed and 74 were arrested.
