When it comes to the Philippines, the first impression that comes to mind might be sunshine, islands, vacations, and diving... Once the second richest country in Asia, its dark social side is closely related to kidnapping crimes under the sunny scenery.
Known as the "Steel King," Chinese entrepreneur Guo Congyuan was kidnapped and killed at the end of March in the Philippines. The kidnappers extorted a huge ransom of 210 million pesos (about 26 million RMB) and still fled after the murder.
In mid-May, the main suspect, Gong Wenli, was finally arrested. The police investigation found that this was not her first offense; she was involved in at least 15 kidnapping cases, aptly described as a "female devil."
This news shocked the entire Chinese community in the Philippines and unveiled a corner of the massive dark industry of kidnapping in the Philippines. Kidnapping for ransom is now rare everywhere, but the Philippines is an exception.
Chinese entrepreneur Guo Congyuan was born in Fujian and moved to Manila, Philippines, at the age of 28 following his relatives. He made his first fortune early on through his judgment of steel materials and started from scratch to establish Elison Steel Company. His business empire spans food, real estate, mining, and breeding industries, making him a true "Steel King" of the Philippines.
He was also enthusiastic about public welfare, donating more than 20 million RMB to public welfare causes in his hometown. In March this year, Guo Congyuan and his driver disappeared after attending a dinner party.
The kidnappers contacted the victim's family through his mobile phone and successfully extorted a huge ransom in several installments, totaling about 210 million pesos. Although the ransom was received, the kidnappers still killed the victims, and the police found their bodies on the roadside in Rodriguez City, Rizal Province in early April, with bruises all over their faces.
In May, the main suspect, Gong Wenli, was arrested at a luxury resort on Boracay Island, accompanied by a hairdresser, and the police also found a realistic 3D mask at the scene.
Before Guo Congyuan's murder, last year, two executives of a Chinese medical equipment company were also kidnapped and killed in the Philippines. The Chinese community has always been a primary target for kidnapping crimes.
In 2014, among the victims of kidnapping and robbery, seven out of ten were Chinese or of Chinese descent. The kidnappers' main target was for high ransoms. The Chinese community in the Philippines, through hard work, has mostly accumulated a certain amount of wealth.
The New York Times wrote, "The Chinese have played a significant role in the economic growth of the Philippines... This has made them targets for extortion." For example, in the 2024 Forbes list of the richest in the Philippines, half of them were Chinese. Although the Chinese community makes up less than 2% of the total population of the Philippines, it has produced many high-income social elites.
The Chinese not only founded and built large shopping malls, fast food chains, and the aviation industry in the Philippines but also entered financial institutions like banks, with Chinese figures in various industries.
The large luxury SM Mall in the Philippines was founded by Chinese entrepreneur Shi Zhicheng. The Chinese community was even once described by the Philippine media as "hardworking laborers, silent victims." A risk management company explained that this refers to the Chinese community often not actively reporting to the police or contacting the media after being kidnapped, and paying quickly.
Wealthy yet silent victims, behind them are countless broken families. The phenomenon of kidnapping cannot be eradicated, pointing to deeper structural problems and an unignorable gray industry, namely the gambling industry in the Philippines. In 2001, Manila was dubbed the "kidnapping capital of Asia" by CNN due to frequent kidnapping cases.
The reality of frequent kidnappings in the Philippines is rooted in poverty and poor security. In 2023, the average wage in the Philippines was $301, about 2000 RMB. Some people live in graves and garbage dumps for a living, eating leftover food from others. Yet, in such a country, firearms are very easy to obtain.
In 2014, the number of firearms held by Filipinos was 3.9 million, about half of which were illegal, several times more than the number held by the national forces. In such an environment, it is difficult to avoid those who are impoverished and illegally armed from taking risks and committing crimes. In the Philippines, hiring a hitman only costs $300, while hiring a private bodyguard is extremely expensive. As early as 20 years ago, the cost of security reached $2500 to $3000 per day.
Although the Chinese have made significant contributions to the economic construction of the Philippines, they find it difficult to enjoy a safe and comfortable social environment. The New York Times reported that in the 1990s, some Chinese families in the Philippines could afford expensive mobile phones for their children, who were required to call home every hour to ensure their safety. If a child did not call for an hour, the parents would think that the child had been kidnapped.
In the early days, the main organizers of kidnapping activities in the Philippines were gang groups and terrorist organizations, and gradually kidnapping for ransom became their fixed "business." Some organizations would also choose to collaborate with "freelance" criminals involved in the underworld, and it is frightening that many Philippine police officers were involved.
The former President of the Philippines, Joseph Estrada, once said: More than half of those suspected of involvement in kidnapping incidents are police or military personnel. Last June, the Philippine Minister of the Interior admitted at a press conference that four Philippine police officers were involved in a kidnapping and extortion case involving tourists, three of whom were tourists from China.
The soil that breeds crime also attracts more kidnappers. The police chief of Manila once stated that in addition to local kidnappers, foreign kidnapping groups from India, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia are also active in the Philippines. In recent years, the gambling industry has been behind many kidnapping crimes.
The gambling industry in the Philippines is a complex industry involving collusion between officials and businessmen, established by former President Marcos to regulate the industry, and later became a tool for many political and business figures to amass wealth. Looking at the situations in Thailand or Myanmar, it is clear that the gambling industry always thrives in symbiosis with industries such as telecommunications fraud.
In 2024, the President of the Philippines, Marcos, issued an executive order banning offshore gambling, and with the domestic crackdown on telecommunications fraud, this source of income was hit, leading many in the gambling industry to turn to kidnapping for ransom as a "revenue-generating" way to amass wealth.
Essentially, the activities of lending and debt collection in the gambling industry are only a thin line away from kidnapping for ransom, requiring similar resources, tools, and personnel qualifications. Coupled with the corruption of law enforcement officers, criminals are even more fearless. Since the 1990s, the Philippine government has been trying to clear the bad reputation of the "kidnapping capital" to protect the local tourism industry, but with little effect.
The reasons for the persistent kidnapping cases in the Philippines, besides the rampant collusion between officials and businessmen to amass wealth, also lie in the insufficient deterrence of the law. Even in cases where the criminal facts are clear and the suspects have been arrested, the judicial process can take decades.
In 2013, Chinese businessman Cai Shali was kidnapped and extorted, and the police caught a kidnapper on the spot, but it was not until 2024 that the court announced the first trial verdict. Another large-scale kidnapping case involving 21 victims in 2000 was also not concluded until 2024. The weak deterrence of the law and the corruption of the police system are reasons why many Chinese do not actively choose to report to the police after being kidnapped.
Even with complete evidence, the Philippine police often delay filing cases for various reasons. Multiple Chinese organizations have called for systemic reform by the Philippine government. The founder of the Philippine Security Restoration Movement stated, "The Philippine police anti-kidnapping unit has become a stepping stone for promotion, with constant personnel changes." Although due to the death of the "Steel King," dozens of Chinese organizations have started cooperating with relevant Philippine law enforcement agencies, creating a safer living environment is not something that can be seen in the short term. It can only be said that the situation of the Chinese in the Philippines is indeed not easy, and they have been plagued by poor security and police corruption for twenty to thirty years.
May the deceased rest in peace, and may the Chinese in the Philippines protect themselves well.
