Keys for carnap targets dug up

THE Highway Patrol Group (HPG) in Davao Region seized a total of 10 Land Transportation Office (LTO) license vehicle plates and 11 car keys buried in the warehouse believed maintained by Ryan "Baktin" Yap Yu on Park Avenue at Sarphil Subdivision in Barangay Wilfredo Aquino, Agdao Tuesday evening.

The recovery of the keys and the plates was after the raid on the property where 14 vehicles were recovered the night before.

Personnel of the HPG Davao Region led by Senior Superintendent Gregorio Pimentel, conducted a search operation in the area at around 9 p.m. after getting a search warrant issued by Judge Emmanuel C. Carpio of the Regional Trial Court Branch 16 dated October 23.

"At around 3:30 in the afternoon we applied for a search warrant before the court, after we learned that there are several questionable LTO plate numbers and keys in Baktin's bodega. The application was granted on the same date, thus, our operation," Pimentel said.

Pimentel said of the 10 vehicles plates, seven belonged to private vehicles, while three belonged to government cars.

Recovered from the area were pairs of private plates: KFF 501, KFW 646, KFV 429, MFK 509, MDW 480, MDW 424, and KDP 869, while the government plates are: SKB 223, SKB 225, and SKB 202.

The HPG Davao Region also recovered 11 pieces of ignition keys with plastic cover intended for Toyota MV with marking conduction sticker numbers: AR 2736, TP 4107, TD 2246, AY 1883, TL 7816, TM 1086, TE 5715, TM 7332, TN 2131, TH 7553, and TK 3861.

Chief Inspector Paul M. Guadez, HPG's Intelligence and Investigation chief, said the seized Toyota MV car keys are believed to be target vehicles of the Baktin Group.

"Yun naman sa mga plate numbers, it's either those are from original vehicles or yan ang gagamitin nila pampalit doon sa mga nananakaw nilang sasakyan. We're still in the process of verifying these entire stuff," Guadez said.

The HPG Davao Region is more convinced now that the syndicate is getting help from somebody who works or used to work with Toyota Motors since most vehicles stolen were of the Toyota brand and the keys to these cars complete with the conduction sticker marks can only be had through the car distribution company itself.

"There's a possibility of an inside job behind these carnapping incidents here, and that is something we really have to investigate," Pimentel said.

"According to an informant, meron daw connection si Baktin sa marketing ng Toyota, meron din naman reports that the group gets assistance galing dun sa former staff ng kumpanya. We really don't know pero under verification pa ito lahat," he added.

Several reporters tried to reach the Toyota management but the company refused to be interviewed.

Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte earlier said he is certain that Baktin also gets assistance from rogue members of HPG and Land Transportation Office (LTO).

But Duterte was quick to add that these HPG and LTO members are from the other areas.

Pimentel also ensured that no one from his personnel is connected to Baktin Group.

Lawyer Gomer Dy, LTO director, echoed the same, as he assured that the LTO here are very strict in their management. He added that their personnel are conducting an investigation on the matter.

Records from the HPG showed that their office with the assistance of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) recorded a total of 31 suspected carnapped vehicles from various areas since October 18 perpetrated by the Baktin Group.

Pimentel said of the 31 seized vehicles, six were from members of Baktin who were arrested on October 19, another 14 and a motorcycle were seized in raid on Monday and two were voluntarily surrendered to DCPO while the eight others were seized in Tandag in Surigao del Sur on Tuesday.

Senior Supt. Ronald M. dela Rosa, DCPO director, said one Gudis, a caretaker of a believed to be another bodega of Yu along Sobrecary Street, Obrero, turned over two vehicles to them on Tuesday due to fear that he might be accused and arrested.

Among the recovered vehicles are Nissan Tida, Honda Aria, Honda City, Mitsubishi Colt, Nissan Navarra, Toyota Hi-Lux, Honda Fit, Chevrolet Cruze, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Avanza, Mitsubishi Strada, Nissan Urvan, Nissan Bungo, Toyota Vios, Nissan Escapade, and Mitsubishi Van in separate police operations.