SURIGAO del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel has called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to exhaust all efforts to trace and recover the ₱200 million ransom paid by the family of kidnapped businessman Anson Que.
“We urge the PNP to deploy every available resource and investigative tool to follow the money trail, hold all perpetrators accountable, and recover the funds illicitly obtained,” Pimentel said in a statement Sunday.
He emphasized that recovering the ransom would serve as a firm reminder that “criminal acts — no matter how concealed — will not be rewarded, and that the rule of law will prevail over lawlessness.”
Pimentel, a senior member of the House committee on public order and safety, also warned that failing to trace or reclaim ransom payments risks emboldening criminal syndicates and perpetuating a dangerous cycle of violence and exploitation.
“Our government must send a strong and unambiguous message: crime does not pay, and justice will relentlessly pursue those who threaten public safety,” he stressed.
He further underscored that recovering the funds is not just about justice—it is a vital affirmation of the State’s authority.
Pimentel also noted that any recovered amount should be returned to Que’s bereaved family, who paid the ransom in a desperate bid to save their loved one.
“This act of justice and compassion would, in some small way, help ease the burden of their profound loss,” he added.
The PNP earlier disclosed that it had enlisted the help of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and other agencies to trace the cryptocurrency payments—totaling ₱200 million—made in multiple tranches to Que’s captors.
According to PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, tracking the digital money trail may lead authorities to at least two more Chinese nationals suspected of playing key roles in the abduction and murder of Que and his driver, Armanie Pabillo.
Que and Pabillo were last seen on March 29 after leaving the Elison Steel office in Valenzuela City. Their bodies were discovered on April 9, dumped along a roadside in Barangay Macabud, Rodriguez, Rizal.
Three suspects are already in custody in connection with the case: Chinese national David Tan Liao and Filipino nationals Richardo Austria David and Raymart Catequista.
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