Kidnapping incidents in the country decreased, with only nine cases recorded for the first semester of this year.
This was bared by Philippine National Police-Anti-Kidnapping Group spokesperson Supt. Abelardo Borromeo in a press briefing Thursday.
He said that the latest figure is only 31 percent of the 29 incidents recorded for 2016.These cases victimized 16 people including eight Filipinos, six Chinese and two Indians.
Also, Borromeo said that the figures for the first half of 2017 is only equivalent to 24 percent of 38 cases recorded in 2015 and 18 percent of the 49 kidnapping incidents posted in 2014.
The PNP-AKG spokesperson also added that all nine kidnapping cases for the first six months of 2017 were recorded in the Metro Manila area and none of them were perpetrated by terrorists and organized crime groups.
All of the above-mentioned cases are perpetrated by individuals merely for money, Borromeo said.
The PNP-AKG spokesperson said that kidnapping cases in the Philippines spiked in 2013 with 52 recorded incidents and 26 in 2012.
Of the nine recorded cases for the first half of 2016, 60 percent or five of these were considered solved as the victims were all rescued and released by PNP operatives.