The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) called the abduction of a Chinese student in Taguig City a "Chinese against Chinese" crime. The boy has been missing since February 20 after he left school, but he and his driver never returned home. Their car was found on C-5 Road, and the next day, the driver's body was also found in Bulacan, causing him to be removed as a suspect. Inside the car, there were photos, conversations, and cellphone numbers that were used by the authorities to track down the kidnappers.
At first, the kidnappers asked for a $20 million ransom but later it dropped to $1 million. On February 22, they sent a video where they cut off a child's finger. The next day, they sent a video again where the boy was singing his brother's favorite song as proof of life. According to DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, the child appears to be in good condition even though he sustained injuries.
The Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) tracked the signal of one of the kidnappers' cellphones on February 24, but they discovered that the signal was in a different location compared to the child's actual location. On February 25, they found the correct signal from a moving vehicle. While chasing it, they noticed a boy standing in the middle of the road in Parañaque, wearing pajamas, with a bandage on his hand. The PNP-AKG chose to save the child instead of chasing the vehicle.
According to PNP-AKG Director Col. Elmer Ragay, a Chinese-led syndicate is behind the crime, and it is connected to another kidnapping case. The boy's family is believed to be former owners of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), and there is a high possibility that the kidnappers are also former POGO operators. Since the negotiations took place on WeChat and the language they used was Chinese, Remulla called it a "Chinese against Chinese" crime.
Authorities also discovered that this syndicate was using ex-soldiers and police officers who were AWOL (Absent Without Leave) as bodyguards. They already know their identity but have not made it public yet. Despite the heinous crime, no ransom was paid, and the boy was safely returned to his family.
