Kidnapping-Related Incidents – June 2025
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PSA Consultancy recorded four (4) kidnapping-related incidents involving four (4) victims in June 2025. Child abductions accounted for half of the month’s incidents. Only one incident involved a ransom demand worth PHP 1 million (USD 17,610.75).
Of the four (4) kidnap victims reported during the period, one was a foreign victim of Vietnamese nationality. PSA recorded zero kidnapping incidents targeting a Western national this month.
Geographically, two kidnapping incidents occurred in Metro Manila (one each in the cities of Makati and Manila). The remaining incidents occurred in the provinces of Bulacan and North Cotabato.
Analysts recorded one successful rescue operation in response to a kidnap-for-ransom incident for the month of June. The victim was held captive for four days prior to rescue. Meanwhile, two of the kidnapping incidents in May resulted in the demise of the victims.
The lone kidnap-for-ransom incident recorded in June involved Chinese suspects abducting a Vietnamese woman in Makati City. Analysts note that similar incidents of Chinese suspects targeting men and women of Southeast Asian nationalities have been recorded in past years, particularly in Makati City, where many of these individuals work and/or live. These incidents may typically be traced back to the offshore gaming (POGO) sector in one way or another, through the suspects’ or the victims’ affiliations. Amidst the crackdown on the POGO sector that began last year, violent crimes like kidnap-for-ransom associated with individuals part of the sector persist, though to a relatively lower extent than in previous years. Relatedly, such incidents targeting women also tend to have an element of trafficking or sexual assault involved.
