PNP arrests 2 Chinese for kidnapping compatriots, 1 Korean in Batangas

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police arrested two Chinese men for the kidnapping of two of their compatriots and a Korean individual in Batangas.

In a statement on Wednesday, the PNP said the suspects were collared at a police checkpoint in Bacoor, Cavite last Sunday.

“Police flagged the suspects’ vehicle. But while being flagged down, they tried to avoid the dragnet (operation), so police shot at their tires,” PNP Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said in a phone interview with reporters on Wednesday.

“The suspects attempted to evade arrest by fleeing toward a nearby residential area when flagged down, but authorities pursued them and successfully apprehended them after a brief chase,” the PNP said.

Further, the police identified the suspects as Huang Yuze, 27, and Zhao Li Shan, 29.

Authorities recovered a .45 caliber pistol and a 9mm handgun from the two Chinese suspects, according to the police.

The suspects were taken into the custody of the Bacoor police to face charges before the Department of Justice for kidnapping and illegal possession of firearms. Immigration-related charges were also being readied against them.

Kidnapping

Fajardo added that the foreigners’ driver and their bodyguard, both of whom were Filipinos, were also kidnapped during the incident.

According to a report from the Korea Times, the three foreign victims and two Filipinos were traveling on a fishing trip to Nasugbu, Batangas, when they were taken by armed men early Friday morning.

The armed men were allegedly wearing police uniforms, according to Fajardo.

“Duct tape was placed on their faces, including the two Filipinos.,” Fajardo further detailed.

“The victims, who were initially held captive, were released the next day after ransom negotiations,” the PNP said.

READ: Suspects in Chinese teens abduction tied to past kidnappings-pnp

Negotiations

According to Fajardo, the Filipino driver was dropped off by the kidnappers in Naic, Cavite at around 3 a.m. on May 2. He then reported the incident to the police.

Meanwhile, the Filipino bodyguard was dropped off in Tagaytay City, Cavite at about 6 a.m. on the same day, Fajardo said.

She further explained that, at around 10:30 p.m. also on May 2, the kidnappers reached out to the victims’ families through an instant messaging platform, demanding 200,000 USDT–a cryptocurrency–per victim.

Over the course of negotiations from 12 a.m. of May 3 to 5 a.m. of May 5, the victims were released one by one–two of them in Muntinlupa City and the last of them in Tagaytay, Fajardo detailed.

The PNP spokesperson said they were still investigating how much of the ransom was given, where the money ended up, and whether the armed men in uniform were actually policemen. /MR/cb

(2025/05/07-14:58)