PNP traces Que ransom, warns shadow econ threat

House Committee on Dangerous Drugs chairperson Robert Ace Barbers warned that the laundering of P200 million ransom paid in the Anson Que kidnapping case poses a serious national security threat, signaling a growing shadow economy used by foreign syndicates for financial crimes.

Que and his driver were last seen alive on March 29, with their bodies found strangled in Rizal on April 10, despite paying the ransom.

Barbers stressed that criminals have become more sophisticated, leveraging digital tools and regulatory gaps to operate with impunity, urging stronger legislation to support President Marcos Jr.'s law-and-order agenda.

The Philippine National Police uncovered that ransom funds passed through junket operators before dispersing across multiple e-wallets and converting into cryptocurrency, complicating recovery efforts.

One of the e-wallets was reportedly owned by a Chinese national previously arrested for espionage, raising concerns about deeper connections between kidnapping operations and potential espionage activities.

Barbers commended the PNP's breakthrough in tracing the money trail but warned that without swift reforms to tighten oversight of junkets, POGOs, and crypto transactions, the Philippines risks becoming a 'haven for transnational crime.'