According to Red Star News on July 1, two more Chinese were killed in the Philippines.
It is understood that after being kidnapped, two compatriots on the mainland chose to pay a ransom of 3 million to the kidnappers, but they were still killed by the murderer.
And this is not the first time that a Chinese have been kidnapped in the Philippines.
Another Chinese person has been victimized in the Philippines
According to reports, the two people killed were Xia Moumou, the international marketing director of a Hong Kong-listed medical device company, and Sun Moumou, the head of a cardiovascular medical device distributor company.
Xia and Sun are both senior practitioners in the medical device industry.
Xia Moumou is only 39 years old, graduated from Hunan City University, and has been rated as an outstanding graduate of the School of Materials and Chemical Engineering of the school in the past 15 years.
Colleagues describe him as "courageous, outstanding and sincere".
According to his former colleague, Sun said, "He is a very good person and very good."
The purpose of the trip was to inspect the business and hope to further expand the overseas market.
On June 20, they arrived in the Philippines full of hope.
However, the nightmare soon struck.
They were kidnapped, and the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 3 million yuan from the family of one of the victims.
Despite a huge ransom payment, the two were brutally killed on June 24.
This practice of "tearing up tickets" after paying the ransom highlights the cruelty and ruthlessness of the criminals.
The case has aroused widespread concern and deep sympathy.
On July 1, Xia Moumou's memorial service was held in Beijing, the chairman of the company personally went to the airport to greet the ashes of the victims, and all employees mourned in silence at the meeting.
And Sun also has elderly parents in the family, and the heartbreaking thing is that they still don't know that their son has been killed, only that their son was kidnapped in the Philippines.
Worryingly, this is not an isolated case.
Abductions in the Philippines are frequent
Just half a year ago, in November 2023, the Philippine police reported a horrific case: six Chinese citizens were kidnapped in a high-end villa complex in Manila.
In the end, 4 people were killed and 2 people are missing.
This case shocked the people of the two countries and sounded the alarm for Chinese citizens in the Philippines.
In September 2022, a Chinese citizen was kidnapped in Paranaque City, Philippines.
In December 2021, three Chinese nationals were kidnapped in Manila, Philippines.
In December 2020, a Chinese national was kidnapped in Makati City, Philippines.
In these cases, some of the victims were fortunate to be rescued, while others were unfortunately killed.
It was so chaotic that even the police were involved in the kidnapping
And behind these cases, there will be the involvement of local police.
According to Philippine Interior Secretary Abaros, at a press conference on June 5.
On June 2, a shocking kidnapping case occurred in the capital region of the Philippines, involving four police officers.
On the same day, two police officers on motorcycles intercepted a limousine carrying four foreign tourists.
Subsequently, civilian accomplices of the police officers handcuffed the four tourists in an attempt to forcibly put them into a van.
Of the four tourists, three are Chinese citizens and one is a Malaysian citizen.
In the chaos, two Chinese tourists managed to escape and called the police.
However, the remaining two tourists were not so lucky.
Not only were they beaten by the kidnappers, but they were also forced to pay a ransom of 2.5 million Philippine pesos (about 308,000 yuan).
It was not until 6 a.m. the next day (June 3) that the two hostages were finally released.
The case has exposed serious problems in the Philippine police system.
The fact that the police, who are supposed to uphold the law and protect the people, are involved in such egregious criminal acts will undoubtedly seriously damage the public's trust in law enforcement.
For foreign tourists in the Philippines, especially Chinese citizens, this incident is undoubtedly a wake-up call.
It reminds us to always be vigilant and aware of our personal safety when traveling overseas, as well as to be aware of the local security situation and how to seek emergency help.
Why is this happening
Why has the Philippines become the "hardest hit area" for kidnapping cases?
According to experts, this is related to factors such as the gap between the rich and the poor in the country, high unemployment, and poor law enforcement.
Some criminals have taken a fancy to foreign tourists and businessmen, believing that they are easier to get their hands on and that the ransom is substantial.
However, for unknown reasons, even if the ransom is paid, the safety of the hostages cannot be guaranteed.
Criminals often choose to kill hostages in order to destroy corpses and evade pursuit.
This cruel practice not only brought untold suffering to the victims' families, but also brought great psychological pressure to other foreigners in the Philippines.
In the face of this situation, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has repeatedly issued security reminders, calling on Chinese citizens in the Philippines to be vigilant and pay attention to their personal safety.
At the same time, China and the Philippines are also strengthening law enforcement cooperation to jointly combat transnational crimes.
However, to fundamentally improve the situation, the Philippines needs to take more vigorous measures.
For example, we should strengthen the management of public order, improve the professional quality of the police, severely crack down on corruption, and narrow the gap between the rich and the poor.
Only in this way can the Philippines become a safe and friendly destination for tourism and investment again.
Otherwise, it will not only tarnish the image of the Philippines, but also strain the country's relations with others and make it easy to fall into isolation.
For those planning to travel to the Philippines, it is important to increase safety awareness.
Try to avoid traveling alone, choose safe accommodation and transportation, stay in touch with family and friends, and find out how to help in the local area.
Only if each of us is vigilant can we maximize our own safety.
Of course, if you don't have to, try to choose a safe country to visit.
Epilogue:
Looking at the Philippines now, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is "internal and external troubles".
Internally, there is chaos caused by various economic and livelihood issues, and externally it is at odds with its neighbors, and it is bent on hugging the thigh of the United States.
It can only be said that the current Philippines still can't distinguish between "light and heavy" and does not understand that only economic development is a necessary condition for its rise.
When the domestic investment situation deteriorates, it is undoubtedly a joke to try to rely on the rise of its own poverty.
【Disclaimer】
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References:
[1] Red Star News - "Two Chinese Medical Device Company Management Personnel Killed After Being Kidnapped in the Philippines"
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