THE SUDDEN INCREASE/RISE

OF KIDNAPPING CASES

IN THE PHILIPPINES

BY:

Angcoy, Andrea

Gallardo, Lou Shane

Gumban, Jade Marie

Lavado, Hazel Anne

Molinos, Elaiza Ruby

Tan, Tracy
 5 RESEARCH TOPICS

1. THE INCREASE OF ROBBERY CASES IN ILOILO CITY DURING THE PANDEMIC

 Many cases of the theft and robbery have been recorded during the pandemic,

especially, here in Iloilo City. Nowadays, we cannot avoid being victims of robbery

because many people are hungry and unemployed. Many incidents of robbery

happened outside of schools and residential buildings. Most of them have been

caught and reprimanded, but the thieves still don’t disappear. That’s why most

people especially, students and those who go to work in the city are really worried

because of the increase cases of theft. But even though the police keeps an eye to

them they still continue on stealing things from others.

2. THE EFFECTS OF INCREASING SUICIDE CASES DURING PANDEMIC IN THE

PHILIPPINES

 It is fatal for young Filipinos to lack access to mental health care, particularly in

isolated places. Attempts at and fatalities rom juvenile suicide have drastically

increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with an increase in calls about

suicide to mental health facilities across the nation. Combating social stigma against

receiving and providing mental health help, such as initiatives to prevent suicide, is

crucial. Atlantic Fellows worked together to advance legislative change to increase

access to these vital resources for saving lives.

Atlantic Fellows electronically gathered in the Philippines in August 2020. They were

participants in two programs, Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity U.S. + Global and

Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity in Southeast Asia, and their discussion on the
 suicide rate among young people in the Philippines led them to ask one another

what they might do to reduce it.

Aware of the death of pertinent health information and services in remote and

underserved communities, we felt compelled to take cooperative action to help

prevent and mitigate the effects of this impending crisis. “A pressing concern that

parallels COVID-19 is the apparent spike in mental health issues that silently pervade

our communities and which precipitate the alarming increase in suicide among our

children and youth.”

3. THE SUDDEN RISE OF KIDNAPPING CASES IN THE PHILIPPINES

 A national police public service page in Eastern Visayas provided advice on how

people should be attentive and secure in the face of reported “van kidnapping” and

similar situations. Amidst the reported increase in abduction events in the nation as

a result of various reports on the subject, the Police Community Affairs and

Development Group in the area published an infographic on Thursday. Among these

are incidents where Filipinos have been abducted by individuals, driving vans or

other vehicles. The PCADG Eastern Visayas informed the general public of the

following:

 Inform your loved ones of your current location.

 You must protect and defend yourself.

 Avoid being “easy’ targets on the streets.

 Take heed of your gut feeling.

4. THE EFFECTS OF ABORTION IN TEENAGE PREGNANCY

 This topic focuses on the effects of abortion in teenage pregnancy. In today’s

generation cases of teenage pregnancy has been rising, and some teens tends to
 undergo abortion in reasons of wanting to education and wants have a good career

in the future, which is why some decides to go with it. Abortion is known to be illegal

in the Philippines, undergoing abortion is a crime because you’re taking a person life

away. But it doesn’t mean when you had undergone abortion you will lead yourself

into an improved life. Some regrets this kind of decision due to guilt.

5. EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE TO TEENS

 The first chapter introduces the subject of drug abuse, attempts to estimate the extent of

the problem and elaborates on the connection between drugs and crime. Subsequent

chapters are concerned with history of drug abuse, and the psychology and sociology of

drug abuse. Drug treatment and prevention efforts are reviewed, along with the business

of drugs and the law enforcement response.

Drug abuse continues to be the major risk behaviour among youth and adolescents, with

physical and mental health complications. Despite the known risks associated with the

drugs, adolescents continue using these drugs. This paper reveals the prevalence of drug

abuse among adolescent’s in Philippines, problems associated with drugs abuse and

reasons why adolescents are vulnerable to drugs abuse. Drug abuse causes a lot of risk

among the adolescents; it results to gang formation, armed robbery, mental illness and

cultism. Studies revealed that most of the drug addicts started smoking from their young

age.
 INTRODUCTION

A national police public service page in Eastern Visayas provided advice on how people should
be attentive and secure in the face of reported “van kidnapping” and similar situations. Amidst
the reported increase in abduction events in the nation as a result of various reports on the
subject, the Police Community Affairs and Development Group in the area published an
infographic on Thursday. Among these are incidents where Filipinos have been abducted by
individuals, driving vans or other vehicles.

1.1 BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS

The primary motive for kidnapping is to place the victim in some form of

involuntary servitude, to commit another criminal act against the victim, or to

obtain a ransom to release the victim safely. Recently, extortion kidnapping has

become a tactic used by political revolutionaries and terrorists, seeking

concessions from the government. In Philippines it is considered a serious crime

punishable by long imprisonment. According to a circulating story, the

kidnappings were reportedly carried out by mobsters, driving around in white

vans and the victims were grabbed by the road and dragged into their vehicles.

Young women and girls are reportedly most at risk.

Modern kidnapping laws are designed to prohibit the crime of taking a person for

the purpose of extorting large sums of money for ransom or other concessions

for their safe return. The kidnapping of young women and their sale as

concubines or for prostitution was also described as a form of abduction. Under

current law, this is often referred to as “kidnapping” and usually involves

kidnapping or holding a girl under a certain age for the purpose of marriage. The

separation of a man from his wife by a woman is define as a crime in the sense

of kidnapping.
To effectively deal with kidnapping and ensure safety we need to understand

how kidnappers target their victims. Given the high levels of poverty and little

potential for economic development, an illicit economy such as drugs, kidnapping

and various violent entrepreneur is sometimes seen as a favorable option. The

arrested suspects involved in these cases are not related as they have their own

motives as to why they committed these crimes. Police chiefs have ordered PNP

staff to step up patrols, especially in crime-prone areas and near schools where

in-person classes have begun. The police have doubled in barangays and even

administrative staff in charge of clerical work have to patrol the main road.

Still, fears about kidnappings for organ harvesting persist. They note that unlike

in previous kidnapping sprees, ransom does not seem to be the motive in the

latest cases. While insisting that the crime situation is manageable and the

recent kidnapping are unrelated, the Philippine National Police is nevertheless

advising the public, particularly youth as in-person classes resume, to be careful

in the streets and mindful of threats to their safety.

(DAVID A ALEXANDER, 2009)

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1258/jrsm.2008.080347

(Sarao, 2022)

This is an important issue for clinical and academic reasons. Mental health professionals are

increasingly being consulted on strategic hostage and clinical management of abductees. There

is evidence that the best way to help the hostages in a delicate and complex matter.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1653151/recent-kidnapping-cases-not-connected-

pnp

The Philippine National Police (PNP) assured the public that the recent cases of kidnapped

women were unconnected, as no pattern linking the crimes has been found by the police. The

chief of police has given orders to PNP personnel to increase our patrolling, especially in crime-

prone areas and around the schools where in-person classes have started. In a public briefing,

Jean Fajardo explained that the suspects arrested in the said cases had different motives.

(Star, 2022)

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2022/08/28/2205603/editorial-another-

kidnapping-wave/amp/

Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. But in the case of stories about a spate of

kidnappings across the country, law enforcers say the cases are unrelated, there is no

organized group behind the assaults, and the crime situation is manageable. The National

Bureau of Investigation is reportedly collating information on the recent kidnapping cases,

several of which were recorded in surveillance video.