The male victim of the abduction was released with the incident taking place at Okada Manila where he was being held hostage. The perpetrators were aged between 24 and 36 according to local media reports.

Okada Manila Becomes Scene of Abduction

Upon investigating, police found out that the abductors had forced the man into the room because he was unable to repay a PHP500,000 ($9,000) debt. Police were tipped off by the resort. The victim was able to inform a guard about his situation while the abductors were moving him, prompting Okada Manila’s security team to interfere swiftly.

Commenting on the incident as cited by Inquirer, a local media outlet, National Capital Region Police Office chief major general Edgar Allan Okubo said that such crime would not be tolerated and that the police were prepared to act.

“We will work diligently to respond in such similar reports of illegal detention to be able to rescue other possible victims among foreign nationals,” Okubo explained.

The abduction highlights the ongoing problem that many lawmakers, officials and even Chinese diplomats ascribe to the lawless market of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators. The industry has reportedly produced the most gambling-related crime, and many have called for it to be shuttered completely.

Among those complaining have been Chinese diplomats who see the industry as harmful to the country’s citizens with many abduction cases reported to originate in the POGOs operations in the Philippines. PAGCOR chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco has warned that should these incidents continue, the regulator would not hesitate to suspend the licenses of POGOs and implement broader measures that could affect the industry in its entirety.

POGOs have been a thorn in the side of the new PAGCOR chair who is keen to be seen as a hardliner on crime. Yet, POGOs generate a fair bit of revenue that is injected into the public purse. Without them, it’s not immediately clear how the state would make for the short in revenue.

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