A lawmaker on Sunday has called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to exhaust all efforts to recover the P200-million ransom paid by the family of businessman Anson Que, who was kidnapped and subsequently killed by his captors.

In a statement, Surigao del Sur Representative Johnny Pimentel urged the PNP to “deploy every available resource and investigative tool to follow the money trail, hold all perpetrators accountable and recover the funds illicitly obtained.”

He warned that failure to retrieve the ransom would embolden criminal syndicates and perpetuate a cycle of violence and exploitation.

“Our government must send a strong and unambiguous message: Crime does not pay, and justice will relentlessly pursue those who threaten public safety,” said the solon as he stressed that the recovered funds should be returned to Que’s family.

“This act of justice and compassion would, in some small way, help ease the burden of their profound loss,” Pimentel said.

To recall, the Department of the Interior and Local Government on 10 April 2025 confirmed that the bodies of Anson Que and his driver, Armanie Pabillo, were found in Rodriguez, Rizal.

The PNP has stated it sought assistance from the Anti-Money Laundering Council and other agencies to trace the cryptocurrency payments made in multiple tranches to Que’s kidnappers.

Authorities identified David Tan Liao, Kelly Tan Lim and an unnamed suspect as the alleged masterminds in the killings of Que and Pabillo.