Senators Ramon Revilla, Jr. and Imee Marcos said they are alarmed over incidents of missing young women that are starting to cause panic and concern and urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to delve deeper into and verify recent reports of abductions.
Also on Friday, the Southern Police District (SPD) announced the arrest of a Chinese national, one of the suspects responsible for the abduction and illegal detention of two other foreigners in Pasay City.
SPD acting district director P/Col. Kirby Kraft identified the suspect as Ning Yuangquiang, 24, who was arrested by operatives of the Pasay City police station in a follow-up operation late Thursday night along Macapagal Boulevard near SM Mall of Asia.
Revilla sent a letter to the PNP on Friday, urging for a more thorough probe.
“It is important that we determine if these reports are true or if there are just crooks who are spreading fear),” Revilla said in a statement.
If proven to be hoaxes, Revilla said the PNP should ensure that those responsible are identified and made accountable.
Marcos likewise asked the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation to file cases. “Especially the young women who were not only raped, but also brutally killed. No exemptions,” Marcos said in another statement.
The PNP recently dismissed rumors that a serial killer or a criminal group aboard white vans are behind the series of reported killings and disappearances.
Col. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson, said they have not recorded incidents involving white vans.
The SPD meanwhile said Yuangquiang was in possession of a .9mm pistol loaded with eight live ammunition, 10 grams of shabu worth P68,000, and a Toyota Vios with registration plate NGX1490, which he used in the abduction.
The vehicle, which was rented by the suspect, was located through GPS tracking device with the help of the vehicle’s owner.
“This vehicle was used by the suspect to abduct Le Thi Dung (Vietnamese national) and Soy SreyLeak (Cambodian national). CCTV camera captured the location of the vehicle at Moana Street in Pasay City,” the SPD report stated.
Two days prior to the arrest, the authorities were able to rescue the two female victims in the company of the suspect’s cohort, who the police did not identify.
The Pasay City police is conducting a thorough investigation on the case to determine what was the motive behind the abduction.
The suspect is now detained and will be charged with violation of Republic Act 10591 (Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition) and RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2022) before the Pasay City prosecutors office.
The recovered evidence, on the other hand, were turned over to SPD Forensic Unit for chemical analysis and ballistics examination.