‘No gang kidnapping kids, selling organs’

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. denied yesterday reports about the existence of a syndicate engaged in kidnapping children and selling their internal organs, as text messages that circulated even in the provinces claimed.

Razon said the PNP will coordinate with the National Telecommunications Commission and cell phone networks to trace the sources of these false text messages.

He expressed optimism that the PNP will be able to locate the sources of these messages and prevent them from circulating similar hoaxes in the future.

The text messages alleged that a syndicate has been abducting children, supposedly killing them and selling their internal organs.

Razon said the messages circulated in Metro Manila, Rizal, Batangas, Cavite, Bulacan and other provinces, alleging that the syndicate members supposedly used a van with license plate ZMM-507 in their criminal activities. However, a check with the Land Transportation Office showed that the license plate has not been issued yet.

Razon called on the public not to dignify the false text messages and not to pass them around.

Razon, though, directed regional and provincial police directors to continue implementing programs to prevent criminals from carrying out their nefarious activities in their respective turfs.

In Pangasinan, Dr. Alma Ruby Torio, schools division superintendent, similarly appealed to parents not to believe the text messages.

Torio told The STAR that she also stressed this to the 700 heads of elementary and high schools under her division, in a meeting yesterday.

Violy Ferrer, a commentator of Aksyon Rdayo Dagupan, reported that many school children in her hometown of Binmaley have not gone to their classes since reports about the alleged syndicate circulated. – With Eva Visperas