NBI busts gang preying on rental car companies

Five members of a syndicate preying on rent-a-car companies were apprehended by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after they allegedly sold 63 vehicles, worth P35 million, mostly to casino financiers in just one month.

NBI Acting Director Nestor Mantaring identified the suspects as Myla Ortiz Marfal, 31, Gilbert Bonus Mungcal, Marfal’s live-in-partner; Jonathan Anque Tolentino, 34, all of Sta. Ana, Manila; Ronnie Abarquez Javier, 35, of Apalit, Pampanga; and Renzon Valderama Santos, 24, of Calumpit, Bulacan.

He said charges of syndicated estafa were filed against them before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office.

No bail was recommended.

The NBI are now tracking down Marfal’s mother Evelyn Gallego, Ramil Bayan, Arnold Agravante, Lou Charles Estrada and Agnes Pangan.

"It was learned the suspects were either selling the vehicles by bulk to casino financiers or selling them unit by unit. They can no longer account for the vehicles," Mantaring said.

Head Agent Claro de Castro, NBI-Interpol Division chief, said the vehicles were easily disposed, selling them from P100,000 to P200,000.

De Castro said that from the period May 24 to June 26, complainant Eliseo Mancilla, manager of HNA Rent-A-Car located on Donada street, Pasay City, leased to Marfal some 63 motor vehicles, including a number of SUVs.

Marfal said they were used by her clients, including shipping companies and five-star hotels.

They rented the vehicles for a month and had them delivered to her house in Sta. Ana, Manila.

After receiving the vehicles, the suspects would then sell them using fake documents.

"They would show motor vehicle certificates issued by the Philippine National Police to prospective buyers. We recovered some of these documents and we will now verify them," De Castro said.

Mantaring said Marfal, Agravante and Estrada were arrested and transferred to the custody of PNP at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig after they allegedly mortgaged a Toyota Vios (XRF-380) and a Nissan Escapade (WPR-457) that were both registered to HNA Rent-A-Car.

The suspects admitted the vehicles had been disposed.

Last week, the NBI Interpol conducted an operation and caught the other suspects in Sucat, Parañaque City, where they were about to rent a new batch of vehicles from another company.