THE PNP yesterday launched the Joint Anti-Kidnapping Action Committee (JAKAC) as part of its intensified campaign against kidnapping in the country.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil led the launching of the committee, headed by Chief of Directorial Staff Lt. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo in rites at Camp Crame.
Marbil said the launching of the JAKAC is a manifestation of the government’s resolve “to secure the liberty and safety of every Filipino and foreigners living in the Philippines.
“This initiative reflects our firm commitment to uphold justice, protect the vulnerable and restore public trust,” he said.
Marbil said kidnapping cases have become “more complex,” adding that kidnappers have targeted the most vulnerable women, children, businessmen, and even foreign nationals.
“The rise in sophistication and impunity of such criminal activities compels us to respond with equal if not greater resolve. That is precisely what the Joint Anti-Kidnapping Action Committee embodies,” said Marbil.
Marbil said the committee is an “intelligence-driven and victim-centered” body meant to counter kidnapping “through proactive collaboration.”
“It will ensure accountability for perpetrators and prevent further acts of violence, coercion and fear in our neighborhoods,” said Marbil.
He said the committee will get help from various government agencies, including the NBI, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.
Marbil said the committee will also coordinate with foreign counterparts of the PNP, the Filipino-Chinese community, and other stakeholders.
“This committee is just not a PNP initiative. It is a whole-of-nation response,” said Marbil.
“Together we will strengthen intelligence sharing, hasten response, operations, protect and assist the victims and their families and disrupt criminal syndicates who exploit our communities,” said Marbil.
He said the PNP wants certainty of arrests and certainty of conviction of kidnappers.
“There will be no room for kidnapping in the Philippines. We recognize that kidnapping is not only a crime of greed but a crime of fear and today we are choosing courage over fear,” said Marbil.
Marbil said kidnapping will now be a focus crime of the PNP because “it affects the whole nation; it affects the economy.”
