Director General Ronald dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has instructed police commanders to intensify intelligence-gathering and other security measures to prevent criminal groups from shifting back to kidnapping-for-ransom (KFR) activities.
Dela Rosa explained that most of the criminal syndicates have shifted to illegal drugs activities before because of big earnings and ease in selling drugs.
“Since they are having difficulty now selling drug because of our operations, they may shift back to kidnapping-for-ransom,” said Dela Rosa.
It was recalled that during the time of President Arroyo, the government had to create a special task force to run after kidnapping-for-ransom group because of the rising cases of KFR.
The KFR activities sharply declined since then except in Mindanao where almost all of the incidents are perpetrated by the Abu Sayyaf Group or groups connected to the bandit group.
This is the reason, according to Dela Rosa, why he also instructed his men in Mindanao to focus on anti-kidnapping measures as this could also be used as diversionary tactic of the ASG and their sympathizers in western and central part of Mindanao. (Aaron Recuenco)