A POLICE official said on Wednesday, May 22, that criminals have dropped carnapping, which is not bailable, to engage in car scamming, which carries the less serious charge of estafa.
Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group Director Roberto Fajardo said carnapping incidents went down by 30 percent in 2018 compared to 2017.
However, he said the number of suspects involved in rent-sangla, rent-tangay and assume balance schemes is increasing.
He said in 2018, a total of 155 vehicles involved in such schemes were recovered and 36 have been returned to the owners.
“Actually carnapping nag mutate na, naging car scam na ngayon so we are now looking ‘yung mga rent sangla, rent tangay. Car scam na ang tawag namin kasi na-maneuver na nila ‘yung hindi sila makasuhan ng carnapping so karamihan ng kaso is estafa lang which is a bailable case,” Fajardo said.
(We are looking at rent sangla, rent tangay schemes. We call these car scams because the suspects are able to avoid carnapping charges. Most of the cases are now estafa, which is bailable.)
“Hindi na carnapping e kasi ‘yung carnapping is non-bailable so ngayon more on estafa kaya tinitingnan natin yung syndicated estafa file natin ng kaso para non-bailable pa rin,” he added.
(We are looking at filing syndicated estafa charges against these criminals so that the case is still not bailable.)
Under the rent-sangla scheme or modus, the perpetrators rent vehicles with a promise of monthly payment. But without the knowledge of the owners, they pawn the vehicle to another person.
In the “rent-tangay” modus, the perpetrators rent vehicles and flee with these.
Fajardo said there is also the assume-balance scheme where the perpetrators pay a downpayment and have a person apply for bank financing with the promise of paying that person. The perpetrators would fail to pay the balance, compelling the bank to go after those who took out the bank loan.
The HPG chief said the downtrend in carnapping incidents indicates that their campaign against carnapping has been very effective.
“So ‘yung fight natin against anti-carnapping and other forms of criminality is very effective. Manhunt ang ginawa natin dito and at the same time lahat ng huli nating sasakyan, huli natin na tao ginagawan natin ng matrix para mas malinaw, mas maidentify kung sino mga masterminds and financiers,” said Fajardo.
“Ngayon naglilink, naidentify na natin ‘yung mastermind pati ‘yung financier. Dati kasi nakuha lang natin yung mga little indians but because of the matrix naglilink up, nakikita ‘yung incident na ganito o ‘yung carnapping na ganito kapag naglink yan nakikita namin kung sino ‘yung mastermind and financier,” he added.
Fajardo said most of the incidents were reported in the National Capital Region, Calabarzon and Central Luzon.
He said among the favorite targets of such modus are sports utility vehicles and vans. (SunStar Philippines)