Latest news with #AnsonQue
GMA Network
18-05-2025
- GMA Network
2 suspects in Anson Que kidnap-slay arrested in Boracay
Authorities arrested in Boracay two suspects in the kidnap-slay of Chinese businessman Anson Que, also known as Anson Tan. The suspects, who are foreign nationals, were arrested by operatives of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, according to Police Lieutenant General Edgar Okubo, head of the special investigation task group probing the case, Unang Balita reported Monday. Que and his driver Armanie Pabillo were kidnapped on March 29 and their bodies were found on April 9 on a roadside in Rodriguez, Rizal. Authorities said Que was killed despite the P200 million ransom given. The suspects will undergo debriefing with the Anti-Kidnapping Group. They will thereafter be endorsed to the Bureau of Immigration for inquest as undesirable aliens. —KG, GMA Integrated News
The Standard
21-04-2025
- The Standard
Kidnap and murder of Filipino-Chinese steel tycoon shows an alarming trend in Philippine abductions
Staff reporter The Philippines is witnessing an alarming increase in the number of foreigners - particularly wealthy Chinese businessmen - being kidnapped, with some observers suspecting police complicity in these crimes. The allegations come after the abduction and murder of Anson Que, a Filipino-Chinese businessman known as the "Steel King," along with his driver, according to an investigative story by East Week magazine,a sister publication of The Standard. Following the arrest of two Filipinos on April 18 in connection with Que's case, authorities apprehended a Chinese national the following day, who is suspected of being a key member of various local organizations and is believed to be involved in at least five other kidnappings. Reports indicate that Que was lured to a meeting with a Chinese woman in Bulacan province, where he was subsequently abducted. Despite the payment of a total ransom of HK$29 million in cryptocurrency across three transactions on March 30, both Que and his driver were murdered, with their bodies discovered in Rodriguez, Rizal, on April 9. The 58-year-old businessman - originally from Yongchun, Fujian province - immigrated to the Philippines in 1985 and started his steel trading business in 1990. Over the years, he expanded his ventures into real estate, agriculture, and the restaurant industry, actively engaging in various Chinese community organizations in the Philippines. He was the founding president of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and was the former president of a Yongchun County general association in the country. The Philippine police said that they are pursuing two additional suspects of Chinese nationality, who are believed to be the masterminds behind the kidnapping and murder. Kidnappings on the rise Que's tragedy is not an isolated incident in the Philippines, where 92 kidnappings were recorded in 2023. Over 20 percent of the victims were killed, indicating that it is not uncommon for kidnappers to execute their victims following ransom payments. Wealthy foreigners in the country are increasingly hiring bodyguards to ensure their safety, and local commentators says that kidnapping has become a "business" for local gangs, with potential involvement from terrorist organizations and international crime syndicates. The Abu Sayyaf Group, an anti-government armed organization, infamously engaged in kidnappings of tourists and locals in the early 2000s, demanding ransoms in excess of HK$18 million and also pressured the Philippine government to withdraw its military from the Jolo areas. There have also been incidents involving collaborations between kidnappers and expatriates in the Philippines. A notable case involved a Japanese individual living in Manila who allegedly invited a Japanese friend to the Philippines, subsequently conspiring with two Filipino accomplices to carry out the kidnapping in 2018. An anti-kidnapping unit was established by the Philippine police in 2012 to investigate kidnapping groups and pursue suspects. However, the rising number of cases has fueled suspicions of possible complicity within law enforcement agencies. Li Kaisheng, vice president of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, has accused the Philippine government of incompetence and corruption, suggesting that some police officers may be involved in kidnapping operations. In one of the cases, in which a South Korean businessman was kidnapped and killed in 2016, it was revealed that three police officers were among the kidnappers. Chinese increasingly targeted With the number of Chinese businessmen in the Philippines on the rise, kidnappers have recently shifted their focus toward the Chinese community, recognizing that these families are more likely to pay ransoms as they often distrust local law enforcement. According to the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, cases involving Chinese nationals constituted 30 percent of all kidnapping incidents in 2023, affecting both tourists and individuals working in the Philippines. Some emphasize the necessity for enhanced oversight of law enforcement agencies to combat corruption and address the ongoing issue of kidnapping in the Philippines. Senator Joel Villanueva has voiced his concern regarding the alarming rise in abduction cases, noting the issue affects not only the Chinese community but the entire nation. He has urged authorities to take swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice.
South China Morning Post
10-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
Chinese-Filipino tycoon's killing sparks fears of organised crime surge in the Philippines
The killing of a prominent ethnic Chinese businessman and his driver – whose bodies were found bound and stuffed in rice sacks by the roadside east of Manila – has reignited fears over a surge in violent kidnappings in the Philippines and the growing threat of organised crime networks. Advertisement Anson Que, 51, CEO of Elison Steel and a well-known figure in the Chinese-Filipino community, was abducted on March 29 along with his driver, Armanie Pabillo, in Bulacan province. Their bodies were found on Wednesday in neighbouring Rizal province, bound with nylon rope and wrapped in duct tape, showing clear signs of assault. 'There were signs of bruises and some body injuries and signs of strangulation,' said Brigadier General Jean Fajardo, spokesperson for the Philippine National Police (PNP), who confirmed Que's identity on Thursday. Fajardo said the PNP had removed the acting director of its Anti-Kidnapping Group, Colonel Elmer Ragay, amid mounting criticism over a lack of progress in curbing such crimes. Police investigating the area where the bodies of Anson Que and his driver Armanie Pabillo were discovered. Photo: Handout Authorities are investigating a possible link to Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), which were officially banned at the start of this year due to their association with criminal activities but are believed to continue operating underground through illicit networks. Advertisement
