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Friday, August 01, 2008
Police impound 6 'hot' cars
CEBU CITY -- The brother-in-law of a car dealer arrested for allegedly possessing a stolen van is now under investigation after Mandaue City police impounded vehicles he allegedly owned and left in a vacant lot in Barangay Banilad Thursday morning.
The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) impounded six luxury vehicles reportedly owned by Reynold de la Torre.
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The vehicles are now in the custody of Highway Patrol Group (HPG) 7. These are a black Honda CRV with plate no. YAB-228; white Nissan Urvan, YDC-687; black Nissan Xtrail, YAA-938; black Nissan Xtrail, GTE-687; red Toyota, YC2-842 and green Mitsubishi Pajero, GNR-341.
MCPO director Rodel Calungsud said they have yet to establish de la Torre's
liability, which depends on the result of HPG 7's examination on the vehicles' serial numbers to determine if these were stolen.
De la Torre's four drivers, although not arrested, will be asked about the details of the vehicles, Calungsud said. The four, who were hired by de la Torre last year, are Joven Castolo, 26; Ian Gostelo, 24; Richie Borces, 31; and Angelito Castolo, 24.
They are being questioned by police and will be released later.
Last month, HPG 7 filed anti-fencing charges against De la Torre, owner of Banz Auto Square in Fuente Osmeña, Cebu City, for allegedly selling a stolen vehicle to a resident of Bukidnon Province.
Calungsod said they received a call from a concerned citizen at 9:30 a.m. Thursday about luxury vehicles left in a vacant lot on P. Remedio St. in Barangay Banilad.
Senior Inspector Abraham Ocampo and Inspector Rainerio Cortes led police operatives to check the place.
The drivers told them de la Torre owned the vehicles.
They told police that they transferred the vehicles from Banz in Cebu City to the vacant lot in Barangay Banilad at 2 a.m. Thursday. This made investigators suspicious.
Upon learning that De la Torre is the brother-in- law of Joseph Cañete, police decided to impound the cars for examination.
Cañete was arrested Monday for allegedly possessing a stolen van. He was charged with violating the Anti-Fencing Law of 1979 and is out on bail.
HPG 7 investigator SPO3 Danny Gallano said the cars are now with them and they are examining the vehicles' chassis and engine numbers. These numbers will help determine if the vehicles were stolen or smuggled.
Last month, HPG filed an anti-fencing case against De la Torre, Marcelo Cabahug and a certain Angel, said Gallano.
The three reportedly sold here in Cebu a stolen vehicle to Lita Ordonio from Bukidnon.
The HPG also impounded De la Torre's black Crosswind because its engine number was reportedly tampered with.
Republic Act 6539 or the Anti-Carnapping law prohibits tampering with the vehicle's engine and chassis numbers.
Cañete's place in Barangay Tisa was raided by a joint Quezon City Police and regional intelligence team last July 28. The team seized 13 luxury cars believed to have been stolen in Quezon city.
Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) 7 is awaiting results of the investigation by their legal department on the reported registration of five stolen vehicles with their office in Mandaue City.
LTO 7 Director Raul Aguilos said those responsible for the illegal registration will be charged in court, if there is evidence against them.
Aguilos said he could not yet say whether LTO officials in Mandaue City are involved with the carnapping syndicate.
"We are still looking into the matter," he said.
Jose Manuel Cuenco, president of the Cebu Auto Dealers Association (CADA), told radio dyLA in an interview that the syndicate used the engine and chassis numbers of new vehicles not yet sold in the market by its assigned dealers.
Cuenco said they already warned authorities last year about stolen vehicles proliferating in Cebu that are registered with the LTO.
Cuenco said that Hyundai, a CADA member, issued the same warning.
The five vehicles registered with the Mandaue City LTO were part of the 13 vehicles seized by police from a compound in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City allegedly owned by Cañete.
Cuenco told dyLA that the stealing of cars thrives because some LTO officials register vehicles even if these lack certain requirements. (OCP/EOB of Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (August 1, 2008 issue)
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