HPG bares carjackers' new scheme

MANILA, Philippines -  Car thieves have come up with a new scheme that makes any “hot” car “invisible” when investigators check the Philippine National Police’s list of stolen vehicles, an official of the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) said yesterday.

HPG director Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said the scheme was uncovered over the weekend by operatives of the Regional Highway Patrol Unit (RHPU)-11 based in Davao City when they apprehended Albert Daquiado in Maa, Davao City for violating the seatbelt law while he was driving a new Mitsubishi Lancer GTA (KFV-767).

Espina said when the police officers inspected the vehicle, they noticed that the car’s 2011 Land Transportation Office (LTO) validation sticker was valid for only one year when new cars are issued registration stickers valid for three years.

The LTO sticker prompted HPG officers to make further checks with the HPG’s Vehicle Information Management System database, which showed that the car belongs to Gwen Angelica Tamayo of Barangay Greater Fairview, Quezon City and was reported stolen last March 18.

When asked by police, Daquiado presented the car’s registration papers showing that it was issued on March 21 by the LTO branch in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.

The registration also showed that the car was registered to a certain Gwen Tamayo Buloy. Investigators noted that the name “Angelica” has been omitted and the surname “Buloy” was added in the registration.

“Why was the car registered in Lanao del Norte? There is a syndicate at the LTO. We are not after the institution but the bad eggs in the institution,” Espina said.

The car’s certificate of registration and official receipt also showed the letter “P” was inserted at the start of the chassis number while the letter “K” was inserted as the last digit of the engine number. Espina said this new scheme is intended to avoid detection of stolen vehicles when their license plates are compared to entries in the HPG’s electronic database, but “human intelligence” made up for the limitations of the computer database.

Daquiado is undergoing investigation while the car is being subjected to further forensic examination. Espina said Daquiado will be charged with possession of stolen goods or violating Presidential Decree 1612.

HPG operatives are tracking down Daquiado’s accomplices and other members of the syndicate, including those at the LTO,  Espina said.