Car thieves struck again in Metro Manila's "carnap capital," victimizing a former press undersecretary, a businesswoman and a media firm in a span of 24 hours in Quezon City.
The three car thefts were recorded at the Central Police District's Criminal Investigation Division and the Kamuning Police Station last Tuesday.
Former Press Undersecretary Marcelo Lagmay personally reported to the CID office in Camp Karingal on Tuesday morning that his white Nissan Sentra (MSL-111) had been stolen.
Lagmay said his car had been parked in front of his residence at 1 Virginia Drive, Rodriguez Subdivision, Baesa, Quezon City between 1 to 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Lagmay is the current editor-in-chief of Balita Ngayon, a tabloid, and was formerly president of the National Press Club. Lagmay was surprised to find his car missing barely four hours after he had parked it.
Barely 10 hours later, thieves struck anew near the ABS-CBN compound along Esguerra Street, taking a green Mitsubishi Pajero (MED-140) owned by Media Arts System.
Elaine Timbol Ogtong, attended a meeting with ABS-CBN executives at around 11 a.m. Her driver, Maximo Peralta, said he went to rest a while in the drivers' quarters between 1 to 2 p.m. Between those hours, robbers took the van.
Metro Manila Police director Chief Superintendent Edgar Aglipay supervised the investigation after monitoring it on the police radio.
Aglipay conferred with Kamuning Police Station head Superintendent Benjardi Mantele and ordered the relief of Police Kababayan Center acting chief, SPO2 Rene Gotis.
Gotis was sacked apparently for poor police visibility in the area, which is under his jurisdiction. He was replaced by Inspector Anita Daso.
At around 9 p.m. also last Tuesday, businesswoman Mary Gan Tan, 47, of Unit 106 Midland Condominium, Gamboa Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, reported that her blue Mitsubishi Pajero (W3L-418) had also been stolen. The car had been parked in front of La Funeraria Paz along Araneta Avenue.
Quezon City was tagged as the carnap capital of the metropolis, based on a Philippine National Police-Traffic Management Group report, where 448 vehicles were stolen in Quezon City or 24 percent of the total, followed by Makati City with 214 units (11 percent) and Manila, 164 (nine percent).