Manila, May 7 -- Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Wednesday raised alarm over the laundering of ransom money in the Anson Que kidnapping case, calling it a "serious national security threat" that exposes the Philippines to transnational crime.

In a press release, Barbers said the routing of ransom funds through junket operators, e-wallets, and cryptocurrency platforms signals a growing shadow economy used by foreign syndicates for money laundering, kidnapping, and potentially espionage.

"This is no longer just about ransom. It's about a vast shadow economy of crime that's infiltrating and abusing our financial system," Barbers said.

"What we're dealing with is a deeply entrenched network of foreign syndicates using the Phil...