Former solon loses car

A former congressman and National Housing Authority (NHA) general manager lost his luxury vehicle to robbers in San Juan Saturday.

Meanwhile, the rising cases of car theft in shopping centers in Greenhills and the commercial district in Ortigas Avenue, has alarmed Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay who called for additional police visibility in the said areas.

Police prober PO1 Ronnie Desacula said former Rep. and NHA general manager Marciano Pineda parked his black Toyota Prado model ’97 (plate number WDA 771) along Antipolo street in Greenhills at about 7:45 p.m. Saturday to attend an important meeting. When he came back at 11:30 p.m., his car was nowhere to be found. Since it was dark, nobody in the area witnessed the theft of Pineda’s luxury vehicle.

Pineda reported the incident to the local police who immediately sent out a flash alarm to patrolling mobile cars for its interception. But Pineda’s car was not spotted in Metro Manila up to yesterday.

Because of the rash of car theft cases in Greenhills and Ortigas shopping centers, the Eastern Police District (EPD) now ranks second to Quezon City in having the most number of vehicles stolen per day, a police official said.

Aglipay has called for a relentless campaign against car theft syndicates but if the rising number of vehicles stolen everyday will be used as gauge, it seems that "police visibility alone is not the answer to the problem," he said. – Non Alquitran