43 stolen cars recovered by CIDG since January

Forty-three carnapped vehicles in Cebu have been recovered by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7 from January up to present as it intensifies its campaign against stolen vehicles.

CIDG-7 chief Sr. Supt. Jose Jorge Corpus, in a recent Kapihan sa PIA forum, said that Visayas is the dumping ground of carnapped vehicles with vans as the most commonly stolen vehicle.

Corpus said its office is also looking into the possibility that some candidates are using carnapped vehicles during their campaign sorties.

There is another case of a recovered stolen vehicle in Negros Oriental, bringing the total number of recovered stolen vehicles in the region since January to 44.

The CIDG is likewise intensifying its campaign against loose firearms and the manhunt against criminals as well as its task to investigate sensational election-related cases citing the La Libertad incident in Negros Oriental last March 9 where seven persons were killed in an ambush, including a barangay captain, while five others survived.

Corpus said La Libertad is an "area of concern" that must be placed under Comelec control.

In the campaign against loose firearms, the CIDG-7 already confiscated over 12 firearms since January this year.

Earlier, the police revealed that 70 people were already apprehended in violation of the election gun ban.

PRO-7 data showed that since the implementation of the gun ban, about 422 pieces of ammunition were confiscated, 66 low-powered firearms, 15 bladed weapons and five high-powered firearms.

The CIDG-7's search for criminals with pending warrants of arrest includes looking into the background of bodyguards employed by candidates or politicians during the poll period. - Gregg M. Rubio/BRP