Kidnappinig in Philippines

[bbratuse]

For all of you considering Cebu Pac job or just flying into Philippines consider this...

On Thursday Aug.25 my 2.5 yrs old daughter and my sister in law were kidnapped at Manila airport (NAIA) as they were about to go on a flight to HKG to meet me as I was coming from ICN to HKG. After 4 days of nightmare and paying 50,000 USD ransom we got them free....You can not imagine what me and my wife went through in those days... so here is the reminder to all my fellow pilots about Philippines and as BBC calls it now "Kidnapping for ransom is so common here that the Philippines has often been described as the kidnapping capital of the world."...
Can not happen to you? Yeah...that's what I thought too...

[ReverseFlight]

As a keen Philippines watcher, I followed news on the internet every day during that year when Martin and Gracia Burnham were held against their will. Gracia still says in her webpage that she still loves the Philippines with all her heart. I love the Philippines too despite their their inability to cope with things like an army colonel shooting up a bus load of tourists in Manila last year. I have no qualms with living and working in the Philippines. It's not a death wish : it's just a matter of attitude.

[Leemankin]

everywhere around the world, there are worst cases other than this, surely injustice may have been done to an expat...but mind you...there are more asians being trafficked in Europe for not so good reasons (like prostitution etc etc.) so don't tell everyone what happened to you is everyone's fault....reflect on yourself...good and bad things happen to everyone, even the good and the bad, even in eu, us, japan, korea, etc. etc.

[bbratuse]

I have no idea what are you on about in the first place??? But let me try to respond....
First - blaming everyone?? WTF....where did you find in my post me blaming ANYONE??
Second - Happens for a reason??? you must be out of your freaking mind saying that kidnapping baby happens for a reason
Third - Comparing EU,Japan,Korea to Philippines...yeah that one deserves no comment
Fourth - reflect on myself?..no comment

ONCE AGAIN ONLY PURPOSE OF ME TELLING WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY IS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF MY FELLOW EXPAT PILOTS OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS AND TO KEEP THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES SAFE AS MUCH IT IS POSSIBLE !

[longobard]

leemankin..

are you crazy or what?
are you trying to find excuses for any criminal act like it's a response to other criminal act happening somewhere else in the world?
no criminal reaction can be justified whoever happens to..expats or not..
no comments for your words...shame on you!

[Aviator4u]

I second that!!! well said longobard...:D:D:D:D

[Garfs]

I agree i dont think bbratuse is saying its everyones fault. Just a simple msg trying to make ppl aware of this incident.

Really happy to hear ur family is now together again, physically unharmed. Some others have not been as lucky.

[Geebz]

Glad to hear your family is OK.

Do you mind giving us some additional details? Is your family Filipino? White? Etc?

I just returned from MNL this morning. I fly in there all the time for work but this was my first time going as a tourist. I went to see a dentist as US dental coverage is a joke. I didn't experience any difficulty and found the filipino people to be some of the nicest of nationalities (I have been to more than 100 countries, lived in 7). That said, criminal elements lurk everywhere I'm sure. I made sure to talk to some of our local staff ahead of time and arrange for a screened driver ahead of my visit. One thing they all emphasized is to NEVER let my drink out of my sight should I go to a bar. If it leaves my sight for even a second to not take another sip. One of our pilots recently got victimized this very way. They took everything he had, passport, company ID, money, credit cards. When he showed up to the airport asking for help from our people they told me he could barely stand.

I try to be mindful of every place I travel. The problem lies in our own complacency. The more places we visit, the more countries we live in, the more we feel we can handle our own in any given environment.

I almost sent my wife and kids through MNL on her way to visit family. Glad I didn't. Won't be sending her there alone now that I read this.

[bbratuse]

My wife is Filipina and our 2 grls are nice mix but you can tell that they are not pure Filipino immediately.I am white European...as for what has exactly happened is not clear yet as only witness my sister in law after being held hostage gagged, blindfolded and drugged for 4 days is still in such a state of shock that she does not recognize her own family yet..she is in such a bad state that she has to be fed like baby...disaster.
What is known is that my wife escorted them to check in at NAIA said goodbye and then they went through security check towards immigration...about 10 hours after that we got ransom demand...
So there you have it...unfortunately Philippines is getting more and more dangerous recently as you can see yourself if you do a bit of reading on internet on kidnappings as businesses ,muslim extremists terrorist activities that have spilled into Luzon also,scams all over.. corruption etc...

[captbisdak]

I'm really sorry to hear what happened to your family and I hope things will heal soon. Just curious if you have reported this incident with the authorities and if they have been of help. As a Filipino, we are value hospitality and it personally irks me when things like this happen to our visitors. Manila is a really shot place and those considering a contract with Cebpac can consider Mactan as a base since Cebu is generally more peaceful. What you hear mostly in the news happens in Mindanao where muslim bandits seem to make a living with kidnapping. I have worked many years in that place as an engineer and know that these incidents mostly happen in the southern part of Mindanao where chaos rules.

Scams/Fraudsters- True, there are scams going around but this is not limited to local fraudsters. Personally, I was almost duped twice by well-dressed Europeans who wanted to buy my properties and whom I learned are operating a credit card syndicate in the Philippines. Rising incidents also of caucasian pedophiles abusing and killing kids after sex. My point is, we do have our share of problems but so do other countries. I suggest that those considering a job with Cebpac visit both Manila and Cebu then decide their basing.

Happy landings!

[ranbaxy123]

I'm just curious how a kidnapping could take place in an airport full of people and police. Did u try getting in touch with the local authority? How is it possible that someone can take control of an adult(ur sister in law) with a child? its just mysterious... I think u need to rethink as to where did the ransom money go????

[ReverseFlight]

Sorry to hear that people have suffered but we live in a dangerous world and it could happen almost anywhere. You have to weigh up the risks and decide whether to go. On several occasions, my various hosts in the Philippines have insisted on the (unwanted) provision of M16 armed guards for security and protection but I can appreciate that their presence can easily unnerve the uninformed.

[amihan]

As much as I wanna symphatize with you bbratuse, but there must be supporting evidence to back up your story. There are lots of questions that needed to be answered before this story gets more convincing.

First, did you report the incident? How can people (inside a high-security facility) be taken against their will undetected? NAIA maybe the worst airport there is but Im sure one or two surveillance cameras must be operating that day. You should request for a CCTV footage. Where was the getaway vehicle? I mean have you ever tried parking at NAIA? Its very crowded that its literally impossible that such thing could go by unnoticed.

No offense meant but I think you should first do a background check on somebody because something doesnt add up in here.

[Harry Ainako]

Kidnappinig

Sounds like an attempt at tagalogishing?

Much as I would like to sympathise with your family's misadventure, I agree with amihan that something doesn't quite add up.

I hope potential applicants are not put off the Cebu Pac job on account of this!:=

My wife is Filipina ......

Good for you but I hope it ain't the m.o thingy:E

[captbisdak]

Kidnapping is rarely a random event. The culprits usually do a lot of planning and ,since you mentioned in happened at NAIA, it seems like there was a lot of planning involved.

I have friends in the intel community and they were alarmed that the kidnappers had the balls to do it within the confines of an airport (as one poster said it is supposed to be a secured environment with lots of people). They say either these were really organized syndicate or there was a collaborator within. If it was the former, they found it unusual that the ransom was only $50T since the usual kidnapping rings in Manila cases would think of $50T as loose change and not worth their while particularly in a high risk extraction as in the case of an airport.

Airports in the Philippines are managed by the Department of Transport and Communications (DOTC)and usually airports have the "better" police units. So, if I were in your case I would approach your embassy to put some pressure on the DOTC. On the other hand, I would also assess the possibility of an "enemy within" just in case your family was sold out by someone close (it does happen in a number of cases).

Anyway, all the best to you and your family. Hoping the pain and anguish will heal in time.

[fr8tdoggy]

Bbratuse, what a terrible experience. I'm glad you were able to get your daughter and sister-in-law back. But I also agree something does not add up here. Strange that the kidnappers would wait until they went passed security to abduct them, with so many opportunities outside. I spent 4 days in Manila last week, asked some of my local friends, one involved in law enforcement, and nobody has heard of this incident. Kidnapping of foreigners has happened but they've become very high profile. This would definitely be in all the newspapers and TV news. Please report this incident.

[bbratuse]

And few answers for the last time on this topic as I can see this is turning into typical PPRUNE sh... as characters like leemankin and ainako start posting.....

1. How is something like this possible at the airport? well read this.. Asia Times Online :: Southeast Asia news and business from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LH17Ae01.html)
DOJ task force to inspect Lozada ‘kidnap’ site at NAIA - Nation - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/92420)
so...it is not the first time and believe will not be the last and mind you a vast number of kidnappings is not reported due to lack of faith in the police (just remember how they handled Hong Kong tourist bus crisis etc..) or common belief that police is involved in kidnapping anyway
2. All the other questions such as enemy within,why 50K etc... just to say there is ongoing investigation and I have no intention exposing details on public forum and thus putting my family in further jeopardy and hope you can understand that

So for the last time...as one poster said it was a very simple initial post to raise awareness of dangers being in Philippines sharing my personal nightmare...for further reading read numerous travel warnings about Manila and Philippines...be smart and stay safe

And now checking out....

[Dan Winterland]

The BBC artice is from 2001. BBC News | ASIA-PACIFIC | Analysis: Philippines kidnapping 'industry' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1354744.stm)

A mate had a failed attempt on his kids in Manilla. My Phillipino maid knows it goes on and has told us she doesn't want us to go there - we respect her opinion. I have go occaisionally for work and am very cautious.

[bbratuse]

P.S. Kidnapping for ransom in Manila is BUSINESS...And under NO CIRCUMSTANCES do I wanted to turn it into public spectacle and panic kidnappers so my 2,5 yrs old daughter and sister in law gets killed.
Business and business ONLY...so you pay the money and you get your loved ones back...and as New York Times calls it "bussines expense in Manila" In Manila, Kidnapping as a Business Expense - NYTimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/28/business/in-manila-kidnapping-as-a-business-expense.html)

And that's all there is to it....

[amihan]

As a Filipino and an airman, I am deeply intrigued by your story. The fact remains the same until you can provide a more coherent proof that this thing indeed happened. It's very easy to google all the write-ups that you posted and true as they are, they do not directly support your allegations. People will only see your story as another scare tactic designed to keep the expats away.

PS. The Philippines is a dangerous place some may say but danger happens everywhere. Look at what happened in Norway and the chaos in London recently.

[bbratuse]

Scare tactis to keep people away??? My buddy ..I am not tour operator let's say in Bali to get foreign tourist to Bali instead of Boracay neither am I chinesee airline recruiter to get Airbus pilots in China instead of Philippines...I have NO INTEREST to keep expats in or out of Philippines whatsoever! Got it?

You are doing pretty good job keeping people out yourself and for scare tactics please take leave of absence from your company at least for couple of months and start calling US state department,British,Japanese,Canadian,Australian,Taiwan,Hong Kong etc.....governments who issued travel warnings for your country and then start calling media from north to south pole who had reports or articles about safety issues in Philippines telling them that is all wrong and that should not use "scare tactics" to keep their citizens out of Philippines

Sooo here are few examples of "scare tactics" as you call it:

1. Canada - Philippines Travel Advice and Advisories | Government of Canada (http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=239000) and says and I quote "Canadians should be alert to the danger of kidnapping in the Philippines. Although government action has reduced the frequency of kidnappings, there remain reports of planned kidnap-for-ransom of business people. Kidnappings have occurred throughout the country, including in Manila and several resort areas, and deaths have resulted in some cases. Canadians should be cautious when travelling to, and around, coastal areas and island resorts. "
2. US - Philippines (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_999.html) and says and I quote " Crime is a significant concern in urban areas of the Philippines. Though U.S. citizens are not typically targeted for kidnapping, kidnappings and violent assaults do occur in Metro Manila and elsewhere. U.S. citizens should remain aware of their surroundings and exercise good judgment. Reports of confidence games, pick pocketing, internet scams, and credit/ATM card fraud are common."
3. Brits - Philippines travel advice (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/asia-oceania/philippines) and says and I quote "There is a threat from kidnapping in the Philippines, particularly in the southern Philippines. Kidnapping could occur anywhere.."
4. Australia - Travel Advice for Philippines - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/philippines) says and I quote "Violent crime is a significant problem in the Philippines (see the Crime Section below).There is a danger of kidnapping throughout the Philippines, particularly in the southern Philippines, including coastal and island tourist resorts, dive sites, and live-aboard dive boats including in remote locations in the Sulu Sea. Terrorists have kidnapped foreigners from these areas in the past." and also says "Violent crime is a significant problem in the Philippines. Criminal gangs that drug and rob or assault unsuspecting tourists are active in Manila, including the Makati central business district, and in provincial resort towns."

You want me to go on? So must be worldwide conspiracy...nothing to do with "real" situation

As for again comparing isolated incidents in London and Norway with Philippines is ridiculous..

And you know what is your problem? As most Filipinos you get very touchy when truth about your country is revealed and just FAIL to see the real picture. That's why your country is in a such state.In order to fix problem first step is to recognize that you have problem !
Now ...believe or not (really don't care) I DO have lot's of great Filipino friends for life..and hurts me also (as my kids are half Filipino) to see once great nation and country in such state.Mind you that in 50's and 60's Philippines were BENCHMARK for other Asian nations before Marcos introduced corruption and started to pamper military ....I will never forget when one old Filipino (still important in Philippine aviation) was showing me family photos of Manila in 1930's...my god...makes you wonder..what happened?? Manila was wonderful place....

And there is a saying "Its not important how you see yourself it's important how others see you" and never forget that one my friend

And AGAIN for the VERY last time purpose of my post is... and now read my lips... I D O N O T W A N T T H I S T O H A P P E N T O A N Y B O D Y ! and THAT'S IT no hidden agenda...no conspiracy against Philippines (if it has happened in Europe I would do the same) etc..

All fathers here will understand me and what I am trying to do....and only fathers can understand what I went through...and why posting...this was living HELL and I will do everything possible, as much as I can ,to prevent this to happen to anybody else !

[emcee]

Bottomline is.. Stay safe anywhere.

[amihan]

bbrat
It is still unclear how can kidnapping happen in a crowded airport unnoticed. All you've told so far is:
Day 1. Abduction
Day 2. Ransom demands
Day 3. Payment
Day 4. Release
No mention of negotiations, bargaining or proof of life. $50000 cash is available instantly. Everything went by so fast and smoothly that by the end of Day 4 you were already ppruning.
You said they were on their way to immigration when they disappeared which means they've already checked-in with the airline. The airline would've looked for them and notified airport police since they didn't board the plane. You never mentioned any of these. However, you did tell those fathers considering a job at CEB PAC to be careful..:hmm:

[Harry Ainako]

If I can get my hairdresser to give me a nice head of goldilocks, I may possibly get to be top dog at cebu pac now that the other much in demand expats are wont to come! Thank you; maraming salamat po!

[bbratuse]

Since you have also problems understanding over and over again let me clarify it for you one more time... UNLESS you are are Philippine NBI or PACER Manila team member you will get NO further information on public forum...information I gave so far is quite enough for NORMAL people to increase their level of safety and to be more careful so this does not happen to them...

And you mentioning bargaining and "proof of life" ...haha..you watched the movie right ha? and now you are "specialist"...when somebody kidnaps your baby daughter..hey by all means.. then you go ahead and "bargain"

Anyway...enough people saw this and think that message got across throughout at least pilot community

[9ball]

time to close this thread. Mods kindly do the deed.

[Akali Dal]

The intent is to raise awareness of the rash of kidnappings in the Philippines, so why would you want to close it? Let others share their experiences.

I have heard of several attempted family abductions in Saudi Arabia from ex-Saudia crew. One guy told me he would have not ventured into Saudia had he heard of the earlier kidnapping attempts that happened prior to his employment there. It would have saved him the anguish and feelings of helplessness when the authorities there turned a blind eye when he reported it. In fact he was almost victimised instead and his family had to beat a hasty retreat from the accursed place.

[OldChinaHand]

Sounds like a load of Crap. Too much bleating from Bbratuse. Yes there are kidnappings in the Philippines. But as a streetwise visitor I have never had any issues there with my family. Yes you get the beggars and scammers, but if your head is screwed on correctly, No prob. A poor country with the most adaptive, resilient and warm people I have ever experienced.

Crime is everywhere in the world.

[Akbar Al Sabah]

I have lay overed many times in MNL; not the safest of places and I am always wary of venturing into unfamiliar places, being prewarned by fellow pilots and our station manager.

In bbratuse's case it is claimed that it happened after immigration and security checks at NAIA; it had to be a superbly and meticulously planned operation possibly with the collusion of insiders. The ransom must have been planned to be very large sum; kudos to bbratuse to have only parted with $50,000...must be really result of deft and shrewd negotiation.

This happening to people with such close ties to Filipinos who are so keenly aware of such crimes is indeed disturbing and mystifying. NBI, Avsecom and all the relevant authorities must really check this out!

[Leemankin]

i feel sorry for you...booo hoooo hoooo....:sad: don't come back to this country called philippines....boo hooo hoo...

[Akbar Al Sabah]

Leemankin.....Uncalled for remarks; infantile behaviour and a disgrace. Your fellow Asians will cringe at your pathetic remarks notwithstanding any doubts they have about the holes in this story.