Solons: Arrest of Que slay suspects shows PNP can act without bloodshed (2025)

MANILA, Philippines— The arrest of the Chinese national allegedly behind the kidnapping and killing of Filipino-Chinese businessman Anson Que shows that the Philippine National Police (PNP) can resolve issues without leading to unnecessary loss of life, two ranking lawmakers said on Monday.

In a statement, both Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers and Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez lauded the PNP and the current administration for their commitment to solving crime, like the Que kidnap-slay incident.

“This is an excellent example of what determined, evidence-based policing can achieve. Kudos to (PNP chief) Gen. (Rommel) Marbil and his team for getting the job done without unnecessary loss of life,” Barbers, chairperson of the House of Representatives’ committee on dangerous drugs, said.

“This is really good news. Ito ay patunay na seryoso ang pamahalaan sa paglaban sa krimen. At higit sa lahat, walang namatay sa operasyon. Maari naman palang magawa ito ng ating kapulisan,” Fernandez added.

(This is really good news. This is proof that the government is serious in fighting crime. And the most important thing is that nobody died from this operation. It seems that the police can do these types of operations.)

According to Barbers, the PNP must build on these gains, and make the public feel safe.

“This swift action by the PNP proves that under the leadership of President Marcos, our law enforcement agencies are working with greater precision and efficiency in solving crimes,” he said.

“This development shows the growing capacity of our law enforcement agencies to resolve cases with professionalism and restraint. We should encourage this kind of performance from our police officers,” he said. “We must continue building on this. The public deserves to feel safe, and that comes from knowing that justice is being served through due process.”

On Saturday, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo announced in a press conference that Chinese national David Tan Liao was arrested after he surrendered to the PNP’s Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG).

According to Fajardo, Liao has been arrested before, in 2009, by the National Bureau of Investigation also for a kidnapping case. Fajardo said the suspect was then known as Yang Jianmin or Michael Yung, but he changed his name after his arrest.

READ: Chinese suspect in Que kidnap-slay linked to 5 other abductions – PNP

Marbil believes the case has been solved after Liao’s arrest, noting that the mastermind will be identified and charged within the week.

Fernandez, chairperson of the House committee on public order and safety, echoed Barbers’ observation that there is a clear direction in terms of the government addressing security concerns.

“Makikita natin na may malinaw na direksyon ang ating pamahalaan pagdating sa seguridad. Nakikita natin ang bunga ng coordinated action ng mga ahensya,” Fernandez said.

(We can see that there is a clear direction from our government when it comes to our security. We can see the results of the coordinated actions between agencies.)

“Nasa likod kami ng mga programa ng gobyerno na naglalayong gawing mas ligtas ang ating mga komunidad,” he added.

(We stand behind the government’s programs which aim to make our communities safer.)

Aside from Barbers and Fernandez, other lawmakers like Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, and La Union 1st District Rep. Paolo Ortega V praised the PNP for solving the case.

Earlier, Ortega said that the arrest of the suspect just shows “good old-fashioned police work” where authorities simply do their jobs.

Co meanwhile said that the breakthrough highlights the commitment of the PNP to uphold peace and order for every Filipino.