The Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has strengthened its partnership with community leaders and stakeholders in the fight against kidnap-for-ransom syndicates.
AKG head Senior Supt. Isagani Nerez said the PNP’s new Anti-Kidnapping Unit continues to enjoy strong support from its anti-crime advocacy partners, which have renewed their commitment to actively participate in the government’s efforts to curb kidnapping.
Among these groups are the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) led by its President Ka Kuen Chua, the Alliance for Peace and Order, the Philippine Chinese Charitable Association headed by James Dy and the Quezon City Association of Filipino-Chinese Businessmen.
Nerez, who was the chief of the defunct Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response unit or Pacer, emphasized the critical role that the community played in addressing kidnapping in the country. “The fact is, without civilian component, our anti-crime prevention and solution drive won’t succeed,” he pointed out.
At the same time, Nerez rejected calls to revive the Pacer, the task force responsible for solving kidnap-for-ransom cases from 2002 to early this year.
He said the activation of AKG last February resulted in a better-equipped anti-kidnapping force and a heightened degree of professionalism among its personnel. The “AKG is actually an improved version of the Pacer. It is a bigger and permanent anti-kidnapping unit,” Nerez said.
He said that compared to the Pacer, the AKG has a fixed and bigger budget under the General Appropriations Act, and lays down better career paths for its members.            Gina Peralta-Elorde

“Before, there was no clear career path for PACER personnel since it was a task force, they are overlooked in the promotion system of the PNP, hence it is a source of demoralization among them,” Nerez explained. Gina Peralta-Elorde