Ang-See: Despite police effort, kidnap cases up

Anti-kidnapping operatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) may have recorded a high number of arrests, but the number of cases actually rose this year, the head of an anti-crime watchdog said yesterday.

"Kidnapping this year is quite bad. But there are wins and there are losses," said Teresita Ang-See, head of the Citizens’ Actions Against Crime (CAAC).

She noted, however, that law enforcers have not been "sleeping on the job."

Ang-See did not cite figures, but claimed kidnap-for-ransom incidents this year were higher than last year.

"It is safe to say that kidnapping drastically went up this year," she said.

Ang-See attributed the rise of incidents to the prevailing political situation, which has seen policemen spend more time securing protest rallies, especially in the metropolis.

The CAAC head attended yesterday the resumption the trial of former actor and congressman Dennis Roldan, who stands accused of kidnapping a boy last February along with five others before a Pasig court.

Ang-See said she showed up at the hearing to give support to Jenny Yu, the mother of the three-year-old kidnap victim, who testified at the sala of Judge Agnes Carpio.

According to the CAAC head, the fiscal crisis may have also contributed to the rise of kidnapping incidents.

"Maybe the government has no money to sustain its anti-kidnapping drive," she said.

Kidnapping cases were an all-time low last year after the government launched an intensified campaign against KFR gangs in the country. – Non Alquitran