Authorities have arrested a female Chinese national, tagged as one of the principal suspects in the kidnap-slay of businessman Anson Que, during a raid on a Boracay Island resort over the weekend, a senior police official confirmed on Monday, May 19.
Police Lt. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo, the Chief Directorial Staff of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said Wenli Gong and a certain Wu Ja Ping were collared on Saturday afternoon based on the reliable information of the police.
Okubo, who also heads the PNP’s Joint Anti-Kidnapping Committee (JAKAC), said the operation was a result of the intelligence-gathering and surveillance after the name of Wenli Gong came out as a key player in the kidnap-slay of Que and his driver Armanie Pabillo.
Que and Pabillo went missing on March 29. They were last seen leaving Que’s office in Valenzuela City.
Police investigation disclosed that the family paid around P200 million for his release, the money was later converted to cryptocurrency using accounts of personalities linked to casino operations in the country.
Despite paying the ransom, Que and Pabillo were killed by their abductors, their cadavers were discovered in Rizal.
Following the kidnap-slay that stirred alarm in the Chinese-Filipino business community, Okubo was tasked to head the PNP’s anti-kidnapping task force and one of the tasks was to resolve the Anson Que kidnap-slay.
At the course of the investigation, the name of Wenli Gong, who uses the alias Kelly Tan Lim, came out as she was pointed by those earlier arrested as the person who negotiated for the payment of the ransom.
According to PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, Wenli Gong was also instrumental in the planning and operation to kidnap the steel magnate.
The PNP earlier announced a P5-million bounty for the arrest of Wenli Gong whom police believe to be holding crucial information to identify all those involved and who benefited from the multi-million peso ransom payment. (Aaron Recuenco)
