Abandoned vehicle found in Heritage Park owned by PAF exec

MANILA, Philippines - The bullet-riddled Mitsubishi Strada pick-up (RLY-330) that was found abandoned near the Heritage Park Cemetery along Bayani Road in Barangay Pinagsama in Taguig City early Sunday is owned by an Air Force technical sergeant, which was reported as stolen last month in Quezon City.

Taguig City police chief, Sr. Supt, Arthur Felix Asis said follow-up investigation showed that the pick-up is owned by Air Force Technical Sergeant Pablito Igne, a resident of Camp Aguinaldo.

Igne told investigators that his wife was driving the pick-up along Scout Fuentebella St. in Barangay Sacred Heart last February 3 when it was forcibly taken by a group of armed men. Igne said he had reported the carjacking to the Quezon City Police.

Asis said four men aboard two motorcycles were also seen fleeing from the area where the vehicle was abandoned near the Heritage Park cemetery.

Recovered inside the pick-up were seven slugs from a caliber .40 pistol.

Asis said there were no bloodstains or bodies found inside the abandoned pick-up.

The Southern Police District also earlier reported that a driver's license card belonging to Sarah Jane Samonte, a 23-year-old Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) employee was found inside the vehicle.

The SPD said Samonte, a resident of Lumban, Laguna, had reported her driver's license as missing after snatchers aboard a motorcyle grabbed her handbag near the NAIA last Friday. Samonte is alive and well, police said.

Police is still looking deeper into the case of the mysterious pick-up.