Four police officers in the Philippine capital have been arrested for kidnapping four foreign tourists and demanding ransom, officials said on Wednesday. Over the weekend, two officers on motorcycles stopped a luxury car with three Chinese nationals and a Malaysian inside. Their armed civilian accomplices then handcuffed the tourists and forced them into a van. Two Chinese tourists escaped and reported the incident, while the remaining captives were beaten and released after a ransom of 2.5 million pesos (US$43,100) was paid.
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos expressed shock at the involvement of police in the crime, highlighting the severe breach of public trust and police values. The arrests were made based on information from the freed tourists and security camera footage. The four officers, including a police major, were presented in handcuffs and detainee uniforms during the news conference.
Authorities are searching for at least ten more suspects involved in a kidnapping case. These suspects are not police officers, but criminal complaints have been filed against the arrested officers for kidnapping, carjacking and robbery.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte had criticized the national police, calling it “rotten to the core.” Despite this, he tasked them with enforcing his anti-drug campaign, which resulted in thousands of deaths, mostly among poor suspects. The International Criminal Court is investigating these deaths as possible crimes against humanity. Duterte and the police chiefs from his administration have denied any involvement in extrajudicial killings, although Duterte often threatened drug suspects with death during his presidency, which ended in 2022.