Cop survives violent carjacking

MANILA, Philippines - A policeman who belongs to an anti-carjacking unit almost died when he fell victim to carjackers who took his brand new Toyota Innova recently.

Police Officer 2 Romeo Ramal survived being repeatedly stabbed and left to die in Arayat, Pampanga during the carjacking on March 24.

Ramal’s colleagues at the anti-car theft section of the Quezon City Police District managed to recover the vehicle at the parking lot of a mall along North Edsa on April 1 following an attempt to resell the stolen Innova, said QCPD deputy director for administration Senior Superintendent Joel Pagdilao.

QCPD director Senior Superintendent Richard Albano said no less than Ramal identified the recovered Innova as the same one stolen from him, which was still unregistered and only had a conduction sticker. 

Albano said Ramal sustained stab wounds in the head and body during the attack by two men at around 8 p.m. He said one of the men, who identified himself as Ronald Dalusong Jr., rented the Innova from Ramal.

Pagdilao said QCPD operatives finally retrieved the Innova on April 1 after days of monitoring the mall parking lot in the hope of arresting the culprits.

Ramal’s superior, Chief Inspector Roderick Tonga, said a tipster pointed them to the area where the vehicle was parked, supposedly to be sold.

Tonga said the vehicle was offered to their tipster for P280,000 but the supposed transaction never happened, and Tonga finally decided to recover the stolen Innova.

Abandoned

Pagdilao said Ramal was off-duty at the time of the carjacking. He had placed his police uniform and his service firearm in a bag that he tucked in the back of the Innova. 

Ramal’s bag and its contents were no longer there when the vehicle was recovered.

“The suspects might have decided to just abandon the Innova there after finding out the owner was a policeman,” Pagdilao told The STAR in an interview.

According to Tonga, Ramal, who bought the vehicle in March, was renting out the Innova by advertising it online. At first, Ramal received a text message from a certain Philip that Dalusong wanted to rent the Innova for a trip to Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. 

Tonga said Ramal met Dalusong at Ever Gotesco Mall and another man boarded the vehicle as it reached Barangay Plazang Luma in Arayat.

As Ramal drove through a dimly lit portion of Barangay Camba in the same town, the second man he picked up pointed a knife at Ramal’s neck and repeatedly stabbed him. Dalusong also attacked Ramal.

Tonga said the wounded policeman managed to open the car door and jump out.

As Dalusong’s companion took over steering wheel and drove off, Ramal received a phone call from Dalusong’s cell phone. Ramal did not pick up and this might have given the suspects the idea he had died, according to Tonga.

The critically wounded Ramal walked until he reached a house and sought help. He joined his colleagues in staking out the Innova, but is currently in a hospital recuperating from his injuries, Tonga said.