Four police officers in the Philippine capital region have been arrested over the alleged kidnap for ransom of four foreign tourists – three Chinese and a Malaysian, Red Star News reported officials as saying on Wednesday.
Two motorcycle officers were said to have stopped a car on Sunday with civilian accomplices handcuffing the tourists and trying to drag them into a van. Two of the Chinese broke free and called the police.
The remaining two were beaten by the kidnappers but released the next morning after a ransom of 2.5 million Philippine pesos (US$42,584) was paid, according to the news report.
Based on information provided by the two released tourists and surveillance footage, four officers were arrested, one of whom was a major.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Philippine Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos expressed his shock and said the incident was a serious breach of public trust and the core values of the police force.
Police say they are still searching for another 10 suspects who were not police but involved in the case.
