THE Philippine National Police (PNP) said it has found no evidence linking Alvin Que to the kidnapping and murder of his father Anson Que, prompting the removal of his name from the list of respondents in the case.

In a statement released Thursday on behalf of Que's family, lawyer Jose Christopher Belmonte said the PNP has informed them that "aside from the bare assertion of David Tan Liao," no other evidence has been presented to implicate Alvin Que.

Liao is the primary suspect in the murder of Que, who was abducted and later found dead. Liao had claimed the younger Que was involved, but police investigators reportedly found the claim to be unsubstantiated.

Belmonte said that because of the lack of corroborating evidence, police officials are coordinating with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in filing a motion to officially remove Que's name as a respondent.

"The family has been in constant communication with the Task Force, offering whatever information is in their possession to help bring their father's murderers to justice," Belmonte said.

Media reports had made mention of Liao's allegations against Que, and the family expressed shock over the coverage, saying it gave undue attention to "unfounded allegations" without presenting countervailing facts.

The DOJ has yet to issue a statement confirming receipt of a PNP motion removing Alvin Que's name as a respondent in the complaint.

Liao and two of his accomplices — Filipinos Richard Austria and Reymart Catequista — appeared before the DOJ on April 28 for the preliminary investigation into charges of kidnapping for ransom with homicide.

The three were detained by the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) following a raid in Roxas, Palawan, and a voluntary surrender.

The PNP-AKG said the three belong to a larger group of nine suspects involved in the killing of Que and his driver. Six others, including four identified Chinese and a Filipino Chinese woman named Roxian Guo, remain at large.

Que's family lawyer, Arlene Tagaban, confirmed during the hearing that all three detained suspects requested time to submit counter-affidavits, which are expected on May 8. She noted that one of the suspects has implicated another Chinese — one not yet publicly named.

She added that the implicated person was a "pure Chinese," but declined to name names, citing the ongoing investigation and the sensitivity of the claim.

The panel of prosecutors has been urged to examine this allegation closely. While Tagaban expressed confidence in the strength of the evidence submitted by the PNP-AKG, she emphasized that unmasking the real mastermind — and the motive — remains key to securing justice.

Que, the owner of Elison Steel Corp., and his driver, Armanie Pabillo, disappeared on March 29 after he left his office in Valenzuela City. Contrary to initial reports that he was abducted while dining in Pasay, CCTV footage and cell phone data showed he was heading to a business meeting in Parañaque City before vanishing without a trace.

The following day, a ransom demand of $20 million was sent to his family via WeChat. Despite reportedly paying a total of P100 million in multiple ransom drops, the family never saw Que or Pabillo alive again.

Their bodies were discovered stuffed in a nylon bag and dumped on a remote roadside in Sitio Odiongan in Rodriguez, Rizal, on April 9. Both victims had their faces wrapped in duct tape.

Investigators soon unearthed a paper trail of surveillance footage and forensic evidence, including the purchase of wet wipes and plastic bags used to wipe down evidence, that linked the suspects to the crime scene.

A breakthrough came on April 16 when police raided a residence in Barangay Langka, Meycauayan, Bulacan. There, they recovered blood traces and forensic evidence linking the property to the victims. Investigators believe this was where the executions took place.

A lawyer for the Que thanked PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil for the "clarification on the erroneous reports regarding Mr. Alvin Que."