Anson Que slay third kidnap case in 5 weeks – group

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should order a thorough scrutiny of the police force following three kidnappings that victimized ethnic Chinese over just five weeks, civic leader Teresita Ang-See said on Thursday.

The three kidnapping incidents, Ang-See said, involved a 14-year-old Chinese student in Taguig in February, a Chinese food kiosk owner in Binondo, Manila, and businessman Anson Que.

READ: PNP anti-kidnapping chief axed over slew of abductions

The bodies of Que and his driver, Armanie Pabillo, were recovered in Rodriguez, Rizal, on Wednesday, almost two weeks after they went missing.

“It’s time [for Mr. Marcos] to check who his law enforcers are,” Ang-See said in a phone interview with the Inquirer.

“He probably really has to study who his people are [and] who his law enforcers are,” she added. “Is it enough that [Brig. Gen. Elmer] Ragay [relieved]? Shouldn’t there be a command responsibility and for him to reexamine his law enforcers?”

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Marbil on Thursday relieved Ragay as chief of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG).

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said Marbil was “not satisfied with Ragay’s performance ... that is why he was relieved and replaced.”

Ang-See said it was best to revert the AKG to a task force.

“Maybe it is time that AKG be reduced again to a small task force. AKG has become a stepping stone for promotion. Nobody is focused on doing antikidnapping work and case buildup,” she said.

She added that members of the Chinese-Filipino community were “very alarmed” with the kidnapping cases as well as the reported and unreported raids on Chinese business establishments and the alleged “payoff being demanded or they will report it as illegal operations.”

Ang-See, head of the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO), confirmed that there were ransoms paid in the three kidnapping cases, but she declined to divulge the amounts.

“You never reveal how much is demanded because you are teaching other kidnappers that you can demand that big amount,” she explained.

The MRPO earlier urged authorities to take urgent action following the “brutal” killings of Que and Pabillo.

In a statement, MRPO called on government agencies “to take swift and decisive action to restore peace and security.”

“We are one with the public in calling law enforcement authorities to step up, take urgent action, and put a stop to these senseless acts of violence. We have three cases in just five weeks,” it said.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Que and Pabillo families at this very difficult time and fervently hope that the perpetrators will soon be caught and brought to justice,” it added.

The group urged the public not to spread unverified news, photos, or videos in connection with the incident, “as this further endangers the victims and their families and complicates the case.”

‘Grotesque violation’

Prominent local business groups also joined in calling for justice and sweeping reforms to restore public safety, condemning the brutal killings as “a grotesque violation of humanity.”

“These acts are not merely crimes; they are an assault on the soul of our nation, a grotesque violation of humanity itself, and a declaration of war against the principles of justice, decency, and peace that bind us as a society,” the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc., and the Philippine Exporters Confederation said in a joint statement.

“With outrage and grief, we deplore in the strongest possible terms the heinous, barbaric kidnapping and brutal murders of Mr. Anson Que — a businessman, a pillar of philanthropy — and his driver, whose life was equally precious, equally sacred,” the statement read.

The statement portrayed Que as a testament to compassionate enterprise and Pabillo as a dedicated worker and family man.

“Anson Que was more than a name; he was a testament to the power of enterprise wedded to compassion. His driver, Armanie Pabillo, whose name we must also etch into our collective memory, was a father, a son, [and] a worker,” it said.

Signs of bruises

A police report from the Police Regional Office 4A stated that the bodies of Que and Pabillo were found along Sitio Odiongan in Barangay Macabud in Rodriguez town at about 6 a.m. on April 9.

The black Lexus LM350 belonging to Que was found abandoned along Seminary Road in Barangay Bahay Toro in Project 6, Quezon City.

“Initial investigation revealed that the two bodies were placed in a nylon bag, tied with nylon rope, and their faces were wrapped with duct tape, [lying] on the grassy roadside verge to the left of the road leading towards Brgy. Macabud proper,” the report said.

Fajardo told reporters that there were signs of bruises, body injuries, and strangulation.

She noted that Que, who has a steel business in Valenzuela City, and his driver were last seen at about 2 p.m. on March 29 after leaving their office in Valenzuela City. Que was also known as Congyuan Guo and Anson Tan.

The businessman’s family reported the incident to the PNP-AKG a day after the incident, but had requested privacy.

In a statement issued through their lawyer on Thursday, the Que family said it was grieving the loss of their patriarch and supported the PNP’s investigation.

“The spouse and children of Mr. Anson Tan ... fully support the action of the PNP-AKG to bring the perpetrators to justice,” said the family’s legal counsel, Mei Go.

‘Stern’ instructions

In Malacañang, Palace press officer Claire Castro said President Marcos has given “stern” instructions for law enforcement agencies to address recent abductions.

“All these cases have already been ordered by the President to be thoroughly investigated by authorities to lessen or eradicate these types of crimes in the Philippines,” Castro said in a press briefing.

“The investigation on this (Que case) is ongoing, and we assure the public that the government will not neglect this,” she added.

Task group formed

The PNP has formed a special investigation task group to focus on the case. It will be headed by Lt. Gen. Edgar Allan Okubo, chief of the PNP directorial staff, and Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Fajardo said that the police were already pursuing some leads. “As to what extent these leads are, we’re looking in the direction that those involved are possibly involved in other kidnapping incidents,” she said.

She added that police were also looking into the possibility that the killing was related to Philippine offshore gaming operators.

Fajardo said Ragay was replaced by Col. David Poklay, who served as the CIDG’s deputy director for operations.

In February, Ragay was also administratively relieved following questions on the “rescue” of the 14-year-old Chinese student who was kidnapped allegedly by a Chinese syndicate.

The AKG and the CIDG held a joint case conference on Thursday, “and confirmed a link between the victims and a previously reported kidnapping case,” the PNP said.

Marbil also vowed to work with concerned units “to ensure that those behind this crime will face the full extent of the law.”

“We are fully committed to bringing justice to the victims and their families. We have mobilized our best resources to ensure a thorough investigation and to apprehend the perpetrators responsible for this act,” he said.

(2025/04/11-05:30)