Para±aque city: The Philippine National Police (PNP) will conduct a comprehensive review of all unsolved kidnapping-for-ransom (KFR) cases in Metro Manila and nearby provinces following a deadly encounter with an organized group last week. The review, as ordered by PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., aims for a centralized assessment of recent and cold cases to identify possible links, patterns, and groups involved.

According to Philippines News Agency, Gen. Nartatez expressed the importance of this initiative in a news release on Tuesday. He emphasized the need to look at the broader perspective in tackling these cases. The PNP's Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) was commended for their successful rescue of a 78-year-old Indian-Filipino businessman and for neutralizing four suspects in an armed encounter in Para±aque City on April 15. Notably, two of the suspects were identified as former police officers.

While the Para±aque operation is now considered closed, the involvement of former officers has prompted a deeper inquiry into potential syndicate connections. Gen. Nartatez acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, stating, "It is a bitter pill to swallow na dating kasamahan ang mga ito (they are our former colleagues), but this is exactly why we are conducting an ongoing review of other KFR cases."

In an effort to solve more cases, Nartatez has instructed the AKG to cross-reference their intelligence with previous incidents. This approach is intended to determine if the neutralized suspects have any connections to other unresolved cases and to potentially uncover broader criminal networks.