Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 30) — President Rodrigo Duterte called on the Chinese government to help curb the kidnapping of their citizens in the Philippines.

The perpetrators of these crimes, Duterte said, were Chinese gangs.

“Chinese nationals kidnapped by Chinese nationals. Since there are laws to be followed I’ve asked your government to help us with this,” Duterte said in a speech before Chinese businessmen in Beijing.

Duterte added that these Chinese criminal organizations target gamblers.

“There are many criminal gangs, Chinese, that are also in the Philippines who kidnap especially those Chinese who are gamblers,” Duterte said.

He explained that these groups lend money to gamblers. When the debts aren’t paid, the gangs would kidnap and sometimes kill the victims.

The Philippine National Police on Monday said that they will send anti-kidnapping police officers to China to study Mandarin.

Based on latest police records, at least 56 kidnapping incidents involving Chinese nationals have occurred since 2017. At least 120 Chinese kidnapping suspects were arrested in relation to these crimes.

READ: PNP to send anti-kidnapping policemen to China for Mandarin lessons