Philippine law enforcement agencies are actively searching for the whereabouts of six Chinese nationals who were kidnapped in the capital region earlier this week, as reported by the police on

Thursday.

Cosme Abrenica, the chief of the police anti-kidnapping unit, stated that authorities are currently investigating the abduction of nine individuals that occurred on Monday in an upscale neighborhood in the southern part of Metro Manila. Among the victims, six were Chinese nationals who remain missing, while three were Filipino citizens who were released shortly after the abduction.

Brigadier-General Abrenica noted that the motive behind the kidnapping remains unclear, as they have not yet established whether it was related to ransom demands, the motive behind the kidnapping, or other factors.

Brig-Gen Abrenica did not disclose the identities of the victims or provide further details about their status in the Philippines.

The police chief of Calauan town, Mr. Philip Aguilar, where the Filipino victims were rescued, shared that one of the survivors informed the police that the kidnappers had forcibly entered their residence in the early hours of Monday.

The Chinese embassy in Manila acknowledged that it had received a request from Reuters for comment.

While the motive for the kidnapping remains uncertain, it's worth noting that China has previously expressed concerns to the Philippines regarding its citizens being enticed to work in online gaming companies and subsequently falling victim to fraud, extortion, and exploitative practices amounting to what's described as "modern slavery." Photo by Tacloban City Police Office, Wikimedia commons.