Reports of a new Filipino Chinese kidnapping victim have stoked worries amidst a year marked by kidnappings, killings, and targeted attacks on the community, with the threat and tensions with the Chinese state still looming large.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed that Congyuan Guo, also known as Anson Tan or Anson Que, was found dead along with his driver in Rizal on April 9.
Guo, a businessman, is also linked to the steel industry in Valenzuela City,
Public attention intensified after Billionaryo.com published a blind item about a Filipino-Chinese steel magnate allegedly abducted in Metro Manila, later identified as Guo. Another speculation is that Guo’s death may be tied to failed business deals with a group linked to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). The same group is suspected to be behind the February 20 kidnapping of a 14-year-old Chinese student in Taguig, who was taken after leaving the British School Manila.
He was rescued five days later after a reported payout, allegedly missing a finger.
These are only two of several cases from last year. From January 2024 to April 2025, there has been a string of kidnappings involving Chinese nationals and Filipino-Chinese individuals.
Seven cases were reported in May 2024, with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Jonvic” Remulla describing them as “foreigner-on-foreigner” incidents related to POGO disputes.
In June, two medical device executives—a Chinese and a Chinese-American—were abducted after arriving for a business meeting. Despite paying a reduced ransom of 3 million yuan, their bodies were later found in Camarines Sur.
In October, a 33-year-old Chinese national who was previously abducted and released was kidnapped again. A ransom of P5 million was paid via cryptocurrency, but the victim was never released.
In response, the PNP activated a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to investigate the deaths of Guo and his driver. Police Brigadier General Elmer Ragay, then head of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), was later relieved of his post following PNP chief Police General Rommel Marbil’s dissatisfaction over Ragay’s performance in leading the group.
Ragay was replaced by former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group deputy director for operations, Police Colonel David Poklay.
The rise in high-profile abductions, most tied to POGO-related crime and cross-border financial disputes, has placed the country in a dangerous position, turning the safety of the Filipino-Chinese community into a growing national security concern.
