Senate urged to probe abductions 

TWO senators on Monday filed separate resolutions seeking to probe rising kidnapping incidents in the country. 

Senator Mary Grace Natividad S. Poe-Llamanzares in Senate Resolution 195 urged the Senate public order committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, of abductions in Metro Manila and Luzon. 

“There is an urgent need to determine the status of these cases, possible motives, agency efforts to identify the perpetrators and the measures instituted by relevant authorities to prevent the continuous rise of abductions in the country,” she said. 

“There is also a need to ascertain the claims that foreign nationals are conducting these criminal activities,” she added. 

Ms. Poe cited reports that kidnappers have been using a white van, grabbing and dragging victims from streets into their vehicles, supposedly for organ harvesting. 

There have been at least 56 kidnapping incidents involving Filipino and Chinese nationals in just 10 days, the senator said, citing Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. President Lugene Ang. 

Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito also filed Senate Resolution 194, urging the same Senate to probe kidnapping incidents. 

He said most of these involved women and Chinese nationals who work in local gaming companies that operate offshore. 

“Though the incidents of alleged kidnappings and killings involved foreigners, there is no assurance that Filipinos will not be a target of these evil deeds,” he said in the resolution. “The government should act swiftly to put an end to this spate of kidnappings and killings.” — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan