THE “rescue” of the14-year-old student from the British School of Manila was not a heroic police operation but a pre-arranged handover orchestrated by a $1 million ransom payment, a confidential source within the Philippine National Police (PNP) told The Manila Times on Monday.
The source said an undisclosed businessman, allegedly with ties to the victim’s family, provided the ransom — $1 million — to secure the teenager’s release.
A report yet to be released by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) that quoted an affidavit of sacked Anti-Kidnapping Group chief Col. Elmer Ragay further suggested that the high-profile “rescue” of the victim may have been staged. The report, yet to be made public, raises critical questions about the role of top police officials and even a high-ranking government figure in the circumstances surrounding the case.
According to the report to PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, there is no clear evidence that police officers actually rescued the boy from his captors as earlier claimed by the AKG.
Instead, the affidavit executed by Ragay indicates that the victim was “fetched” from a private residence in Parañaque City — where several top police officials and a government official were present — before being turned over to his family.
“The victim was not recovered by PNP AKG at the end of Macapagal Avenue on Feb. 25, 2025, as officially reported by PNP AKG. The victim was not rescued but was released somewhere and only fetched by (PNP AKG head Police Colonel Elmer Ragay and Police Colonel Jonathan Calixto) in the street outside the residence. This is also the reason no arrests were made,” the CIDG report said.
Terror and bloodshed
The victim’s ordeal began on Feb. 21, 2025, when he and his driver were abducted in broad daylight while traveling home from school in a black Toyota Alphard. The vehicle was later discovered abandoned in Barangay San Roque, San Rafael, Bulacan — but the boy and his captors had vanished.
At 1:35 a.m. the next day, the kidnappers sent a message via the encrypted app Telegram, demanding a staggering $20 million in ransom. To prove their resolve, they severed the victim’s right-hand pinky finger.
Negotiations stretched over the following days, with the kidnappers eventually lowering their demand to $250,000. However, behind the scenes, a more significant deal was reportedly being brokered. An undisclosed businessman allegedly provided the $1-million ransom, paving the way for what is now being exposed as a pre-arranged exchange rather than a heroic police operation.
The AKG initially reported that the teen was rescued on February 25 at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park.
Under fire
The inconsistencies in the PNP’s narrative prompted Marbil to launch an internal probe, resulting in the sudden removal of Ragay.
However, Ragay’s dismissal appears to be just the beginning, as three more police generals are now under scrutiny, with insiders suggesting that even higher-ranking officials may be implicated.
One senior official disclosed that Marbil was “furious and blindsided” upon discovering the discrepancies in the rescue operation. “He realized the operation was a sham — he felt deceived,” the source said.
The CIDG report said on the night of the victim’s so-called rescue, a high-ranking government official, two PNP generals, and the Taguig chief of police were spotted arriving at a residence in Marina Bay East, Parañaque City — the same location where Wan and his uncle were later seen. This contradicts the official claim that the boy was found near Macapagal Avenue, further fueling suspicions of a cover-up at the highest levels.
On February 26, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla held a press briefing in Malacañang to announce the recovery. Instead of quelling concerns, the press conference only deepened public skepticism, as no suspects were arrested.
Lawmakers and human rights organizations are now demanding an independent investigation, fearing that without external oversight, the truth may never come to light.
The Senate scheduled an inquiry into the case on March 3 even though Congress has been in recess since February 6. But the probe was postponed as Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, chairman of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, was in Taguig City on Monday campaigning.
