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Philippines kidnap highlights risks to foreigners amid fears of upward trend

Criminals kidnapped the Filipina wife of a British national on 4 September.

Luisa Galvez Morrison was taken by three armed men in Ipil, Zamboanga in the southern Philippines. The kidnappers have yet to publicly issue a ransom demand.

Kidnap for ransom is a growing concern in the Philippines according to risk mitigation company AKE.

The company currently documents an average of 11 such incidents per month, and figures are likely to rise.

In July 2011, armed men in the southern Philippines abducted a Filipina married to a German national, as well as her son and nephew. The three have not been released.

AKE believes that kidnapping may rise in the coming months in the southern Philippines, largely due to the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which is said to be without central leadership and in need of funding. Other groups which continue to engage in kidnap for ransom include the separatist rebel force the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Maintaining a low profile and avoiding public displays of wealth greatly reduces the risk of being kidnapped in the Philippines.

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