By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan

SHOOTOUT. Some of the items recovered from the suspected kidnappers who were killed following a shootout with the police in Parañaque City on April 15, 2026. Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Tuesday (April 21) directed a review of all unsolved kidnapping-for-ransom cases in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces following the encounter. (Photo courtesy of PNP-AKG)

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) will conduct a comprehensive review of all unsolved kidnapping-for-ransom (KFR) cases in Metro Manila and nearby provinces following a deadly encounter with an organized group last week.

The review, as ordered by PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., aims for a centralized assessment of recent and cold cases to identify possible links, patterns and groups involved.

“We are looking at the bigger picture,” Nartatez said in a news release Tuesday.

He commended the PNP’s Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) for rescuing a 78-year-old Indian-Filipino businessman and neutralizing four suspects, two of them former police officers, during an armed encounter in Parañaque City on April 15.

While the Parañaque operation is considered closed, Nartatez said the involvement of former officers warrants deeper investigation into possible syndicates.

“It is a bitter pill to swallow na dating kasamahan ang mga ito (they are our former colleagues), but this is exactly why we are conducting an ongoing review of other KFR cases,” he said.

Nartatez directed the AKG to cross-reference intelligence with previous incidents to determine whether the neutralized suspects were linked to other unresolved cases. (PNA)