PNP addresses viral videos showing alleged kidnappings, other crimes

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday discussed the veracity of some viral videos on kidnappings and other crimes, confirming details including whether the situations had occurred in the Philippines or not.

During the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs hearing, Senator JV Ejercito presented the videos, with the committee asking the police to verify whether the videos are authentic.

Skyway robbery

One of the videos presented showed the robbery of a vehicle on an elevated expressway. The video was initially believed by netizens to be a kidnapping on the Skyway.

“’Sa totoo lang, ‘yung sa Skyway po na ‘yan hindi po ‘yan kidnapping. Robbery-hold up po ‘yan sir kung saan isang Malaysian national ‘yung biktima po diyan,” National Capital Region Police Office chief Police Brigadier General Jonnel Estomo said.

[Honestly, the Skyway incident is not a kidnapping. It is a robbery hold-up with a Malaysian national as the victim.]

Estomo said the victim was able to identify one of the three suspects and that the incident is already considered solved.

Man without ear

The second video presented showed a man with his ear cut off.

Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Lieutenant General Jose Chiquito Malayo denied that the video was taken in the Philippines.

“We have our director of ACG [Anti-Cybercrime Group] who denied that this video is taken inside the Philippine territory… this is not taken in our territory,” Malayo said.

Man being beaten

The police also denied that the video of a man being beaten by a group of individuals with a hammer occurred in the country.

“Again… the ACG denies that this is happening in our area and these people are Chinese-speaking individuals and they cannot ascertain their nationality also,” Malayo said.

For his part, Committee chairperson Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa urged the public to refrain from spreading the video.

“Ating mga kababayan… denied ng PNP na nangyayari ito sa ating bansa. So please, huwag kayo matakot. Huwag niyo na ipakalat ‘yung video na ‘yan kasi hindi pala nangyayari sa ating bansa ‘yan,” Dela Rosa said.

(Fellow Filipinos, the PNP has denied that this happened in the Philippines. So please, do not be frightened. Do not spread the video as this did not happen in this country.)

“Nagdadagdag lang kayo ng unnecessary fear and anxiety sa ating mga kakabayan. Please, stop it. Huwag niyo na ikalat ‘yan,” he added.

(You are just adding to the public's unnecessary fear and anxiety. Please, stop it. Do not spread that.)

Body in Cavite

Meanwhile, the police confirmed that a video showing a body was taken in the country, specifically in Kawit, Cavite.

The police said this is being investigated.

PNP-PRO4A acting regional director Police Brigadier General Melencio Nartatez said the male cadaver was “Chinese-looking.”

“But with finality, we cannot ascertain because wala pong identity [we don't have an identity yet] and right now, we’ve been coordinating with the different… and of course the Chinese community. What we’re doing is we’re gathering fingerprints in comparison with the victim,” Nartatez said.

He said the police also secured the passports of alleged missing foreign nationals.

Dela Rosa also denied that there was a "chop-chop" victim in this instance.

“Sabi nung nag video na ito mga chinop-chop, parang chinop-chop na katawan ng tao, na tinapon, na mabaho na daw. Hindi pala ‘yan tao kundi mga basura ‘yan na tinapon doon,” he said.

(The one who took the video said that there were choppued-up body parts that had been discarded and were smelling. But it turns out it wasn't a person but trash that had been thrown out there.) 

Protective agents

Another video showed 12 men in black clothing in a room, in an encounter that turned violent. Dela Rosa described the video as showing "karumal-dumal" or grisly acts.

PNP-Southern Police District director Colonel Kirby John Kraft said the incident occurred on July 22 in an apartment building in Parañaque and involves 12 "protective agents," or civilians trained to be security. 

“As of today, we have identified 12 protective agents, Filipinos, who were caught on the CCTV camera. And also the other Chinese suspects are still unidentified as of this date,” Kraft said.

When asked, Kraft later said that a suspect was released after the fiscal ruled that there was a lack of evidence. Kraft said the police are now seeking to reopen the case.

“One suspect, allegedly suspect, involved sa shooting incident was arrested in NAIA hospital due to gunshot wound. Pero during the filing of case, medyo naano ‘yung ating prosecutor na kulang ‘yung ating ebidensya [the prosecutor said there was a lack of evidence],” Kraft said.

“Wala tayong physical identification na nandoon siya sa site [We have no physical identification that the suspect had been present at the site],” he added.

Meanwhile, Ejercito questioned why the alleged protective agents seemed to be using high-powered firearms.

“Why are they using—may mga high-powered weapons na mga dala. May mga nakita ako parang assault rifle silang dala,” he said.

Malayo said this is also under investigation as protective agents are not authorized to use high-powered firearms.

According to Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (SOSIA) chief Police Brigadier General Leumer Abugan, there are only 35 protective agents at present.

Abugan said protective agents must be employed by a private detective agency with a valid license to operate. He said they have special detail orders.

Malayo, meanwhile, stressed that protective agents are not part of the PNP.

“Just to clarify that protective agents are not members of the PNP but these are civilians trained to provide security. Just to give emphasis,” Malayo said.

He also urged the public to report incidents to the PNP immediately.

“That’s why we’re also requesting… if these videos were submitted in PNP, we could take action… We are appealing to the public kapag may na-witness silang crime [that it they witness a crime], they would report it immediately to the PNP,” Malayo said.

Dela Rosa also asked how protective agents are being regulated. "Apparently, they are being used by their Chinese bosses as a private army," he said.

In an ambush interview after the hearing, Dela Rosa said they will check if SOSIA must be suspended.

“‘Yun nga ang aalamin natin kasi sabi ng SOSIA, ang permit niya 35 lang buong Pilipinas, monitored niya saan naka-deploy, kaya dapat maimbestigahan dahil maku-kuwestyon ang whole program,” he said. 

(We are going to determine that because according to SOSIA, only 35 protective agents have a permit in the Philippines. Where they are deployed is monitored, so there should be an investigation because the entire program could be questioned.) — BM, GMA News