Philippines Annual Kidnapping Report 2021

Description

Executive Summary

In 2021, PSA recorded 77 kidnapping incidents involving 118 victims, 29 of whom (24.5%) were killed. The 77 total kidnapping incidents in 2021, was slightly lower than the number of incidents recorded in the previous year (80), owing, at least in part, to the nationwide community quarantine restrictions imposed because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. PSA notes however, that the number of victims killed in 2021 was 3.6% higher than the number of victims killed in 2020 (24).

Of the 29 victims killed 26, could be categorized as “Abduction for Murder.” In these cases, it appears that the kidnapping/abduction is conducted simply to facilitate a killing at a time and place more favorable to the perpetrators. In most cases no ransom demands are made on the part of the perpetrators. The perpetrators in 21 of these killings were by suspected NPA and victimized government personnel, soldiers, police officers, and suspected government intelligence assets. For the other 8 victims, the perpetrators were suspected government forces.

The total number of victims in 2021 was 118, slightly up from the previous year (115). There were slightly higher victims per incident in 2021, with 1.53 victims per incident, compared to 1.44 victims per incident in 2020.

Attacks perpetrated by the Abu Sayyaf Group remained in decline in 2021 with just 1 incident. This is a similar figure to kidnapping incidents recorded in 2020 (1) and down two incidents compared to 2019 (3). The ASG kidnapping recorded in 2021 involved an abduction of a female student in Sulu. It is to note that during ASG’s more depleted state, the terror group typically turn their sights into more small-time attacks aimed at localized targets particularly individuals classified as affluent members of poor communities.

PSA believes this reflects that the ASG’s capabilities have remained far below their high watermark just before the events in Bohol in 2017. The elevated maritime and coastal activity PSA recorded in 2018 appeared to show the ASG attempting to rebuild some of its lost capacity, but continued pressure by security forces on land and ever-increasing monitoring capabilities by air and sea appear to have continued to frustrate the ASG’s efforts. The ASG’s activities continue to be geographically constrained – they operate predominantly around the Zamboanga peninsula and in the Sulu Sea between Mindanao and Sabah (including the ASG bailiwicks of Basilan, Jolo, and Tawi-Tawi).

There were 36 incidents targeting foreigners with 45 total foreign victims in 2021, down from 62 foreign victims in 2020. Foreign victims comprised 38% of total victims for the year 2021, a decline from the 54% recorded in 2020 and slight increase from the 33% recorded in 2019.

In keeping with previously established trends, foreign victims were by-and-large those of Chinese ethnicity/ancestry, with 44 Chinese nationals and 1 Malaysian, representing 38% of the total of foreign victims.

No foreign kidnap victims were reportedly killed in 2021. This is in contrast to one Chinese POGO employee victim killed in 2020.

PSA has not recorded any kidnapping incidents involving Westerners in 2021. It is of note that 4 incidents of abductions targeting Westerners were recorded in 2019 and just one incident involving a Western victim (American-Filipino) was recorded in 2020.

PSA continues to note that in most cases wherein foreigners are targeted, the perpetrators include members of the victim’s ethnicity/nationality (75% of cases involving foreign victims in 2021).

The number of recorded kidnappings perpetrated by suspected or actual government forces and police was up from 2020, with 9 recorded incidents in 2021 with13 victims. By contrast, there were just 4 such incidents recorded victimizing 4 people in 2020. PSA notes that criminals have been known to occasionally utilize stolen or fake uniforms of the police or other government forces.