Philippine National Police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered a review of all unsolved kidnapping-for-ransom cases in Metro Manila and nearby provinces following the neutralization of a KFR group in Parañaque City.

Nartatez said the directive includes cross-referencing recent and cold cases to identify possible links and patterns, especially after two of the suspects killed in the 15 April encounter were former police officers. “We are looking at the bigger picture. We have directed a centralized review of both recent and unsolved KFR cases in Metro Manila and nearby provinces to identify possible links, patterns, and any common group behind these incidents,” he said.

He also tasked the Anti-Kidnapping Group to match intelligence from the Parañaque operation with previous incidents to determine if the group is tied to a broader syndicate. “It is a bitter pill to swallow na dating kasamahan ang mga ito but this is exactly why we are conducting an ongoing review of other KFR cases,” Nartatez said.

“Hindi tayo nagtatapos sa pagkaka-neutralize sa kanila. While we have stopped these four, we continue to review whether there are other individuals involved particularly in relation to previous KFR incidents,” he added.