Watchdog: Gangs preying on Chinese tourists

MANILA, Philippines — An anti-crime watchdog yesterday aired its alarm over cases of Chinese tourists who were duped into gambling and then held by Chinese syndicates until the victims’ relatives paid their gambling debts.

Teresita Ang See of the Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) issued the warning after a Chinese, who managed to escape from his kidnappers on Wednesday night, sought the assistance of the police Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG).

The victim told police the syndicate is holding many other Chinese hostage.

“It’s bad enough we used to attend to kidnapping for ransom (cases). Now it’s casino kidnapping. For now Chinese nationals are victims. What if they shift to Chinese-Filipinos?” Ang See said in an interview with The STAR.

The casino kidnappings are “getting to be a lucrative business,” she said, noting that the incidents drive up the crime rate and would frighten off legitimate investors.

Ang See said while relatives gather the funds to pay the victims’ gambling debts, the victims themselves are forced by Chinese syndicates to work in shabu laboratories or online gambling facilities or as drug couriers.

AKG officials said they coordinated with the Chinese embassy, which claimed it does not have the facility to house rescued victims, according to Ang See.

“The AKG asked for an interpreter (and the embassy) said it does not have one and if they had, who would foot the bill? If that happened to our OFWs, they would lose their jobs,” she said, referring to overseas Filipino workers.

“The Chinese embassy does not want to interfere,” she said in Filipino.

Ang See said the Chinese embassy recently sent citizens an image of a “badly beaten victim,” warning that they could share the same fate if they get involved in illegal gambling.

AKG chief Senior Superintendent Glenn Dumlao said the unit is doing everything to address the MRPO’s concerns, rescue the victims and prosecute those involved in their kidnapping.

He said that with the Chinese embassy’s help, they arrested two of nine Chinese who allegedly kidnapped and tortured Wu Heng in Pampanga.

“The victim is in our safehouse and the suspects in our custody,” Dumlao said.

Ang See said though the MRPO has asked the Chinese embassy for help, another problem is that the victims often leave the country after being rescued, leading to the dismissal of the charges against their kidnappers.