According to the authorities, the victims were mother and daughter Hong and her 11-year-old son, who were abducted in Ayala Alabang in October 2023.
The Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) and local police exhumed the bodies in Barangay San Francisco. Police plan to conduct a forensic examination and autopsy to confirm the identity and cause of death.
On February 4, the police announced that they had arrested one of the masterminds in the abduction of Chinese businessman Zeng and his family in 2023. However, the main suspect's whereabouts are still unknown. It is still unclear if the newly discovered bodies are connected to the testimony of the captured mastermind.
Case Analysis
In the early morning of October 31, 2023, six armed men attacked the house of Chinese businessman Zeng in Sampaca Street, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City. Nine people were abducted—six Chinese and three Filipinos.
By the end of November, the Anti-Kidnapping Squad confirmed that four of the six abducted Chinese were dead. The bodies of two female victims were found in a place in Rizal, but since they had been dead for a long time, their families only identified them by their clothes.
Meanwhile, the bodies of two male victims were found in Quezon province. The police took the DNA samples and compared it with the DNA of Mr.'s mother. Zeng. It was later confirmed that the victims were siblings.
In February 2024, the Philippine Department of Justice announced that the three arrested suspects—a businessman, a security guard, and the driver of the Toyota van used in the crime—had been charged.
The Department of Justice has expressed its commitment to hold accountable those behind the abduction and provide justice to the victims.
According to the police, it is possible that the motive of the crime was related to business, because they discovered that valuables were missing from six safes in the house.
The public and the Chinese community were shocked by this incident, especially since it happened in a high-end subdivision where many famous personalities live. It is also surprising that after the abduction, the suspects never asked for a ransom.
According to people close to the family, Mr. Zeng is from Jinjiang, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province. He and his wife have been businessmen in the Philippines for a long time. He is known as a good person who is active in charity and other community activities.
