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9 complainants withdraw cases vs 'rent-tangay' suspects

MANILA, March 31 (PNA) -- Nine complainants of ‘rent-tangay’ modus operandi withdrawn their complaints filed against the perpetrators behind the the scheme which has victimized car owners from different parts of the country.

During the continuation of preliminary investigation on Friday, the complainants submitted an affidavit of desistance before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Of the nine, three complainants accused the Philippine National Police- Highway Patrol Group (HPG) of threatening them that they will no longer recover their vehicle unless they will file a complaint against the respondents led by Rafaela Montes Anunciacion.

Assistant State Prosecutor Aristotle Reyes one of the member DoJ panel handle complaint filed by PNP-HPG on the charges for swindling and syndicated estafa under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code and Presidential Decree 1689 against Rafaela Montes Anunciacion said that the complainants may be facing perjury raps for withdrawing the complaints.

”Katulad nyo ipinagkatiwala ang sasakyan na hindi niyo kilala ang tao. Ang HPG, hindi ganun. Nasa impounding area nila yan, may report na product ng fraudulent transactions, natural na iimbestigahan ng HPG,” Reyes said

“Hindi naman kayo pinapunta doon na kung may ID kayo uuwi na kayo dala ang sasakyan. Kaya kayo pinag-execute ng affidavit. Tapos ngayon sabihin niyo na kasalanan ng HPG?,” Reyes asked the complainants during the preliminary investigation.

“No Sir, we were only asked to give a statement,” the complainant said.

”Natural para malaman kung ano ang circumstances paano nawala ang sasakyan niyo. Tapos ngayon sasabihin niyo sa affidavit niyo na humingi kami ng tulong sa HPG para malocate ang sasakyan. Tapos sasabihin niyo na pinilit po kami ng HPG. Ano ba yan? Perjury ito,” he told the complainants.

The prosecutor pointed at the inconsistencies of the victims who issued an affidavit of desistance and allegations against the HPG saying “you said you sought the HPG’s help to find your vehicles but now you will tell me HPG forced you to file a complaint.”

”Huwag kayo basta-basta gawa nang gawa ng affidavit na di niyo naintindihan na dinadala sa DOJ. Hindi ito lokohan, seryoso ito. Isipin niyo inimbestigahan ng HPG tapos ngayon sasabihin niyo pinilit kayo. Natural bago mabawi niyo ang sasakyan nyo, iimbestigahan kayo. Wala ako magagawa yan ang mga affidavit niyo,” Reyes explained.

Police Officer 3 Aladdin Orale of the HPG lamented that “kami na nagpakahirap tapos magdedesist pa sila.”

There are a total of 29 complainants on the first batch of complaint filed by the HPG. On the second batch, there are 18 complainants.

Other respondents include Eleanor “Leah” Constantino Rosales, Tychichus Historillo Nambio, Jhennelyn Berroya, Anastacia Montes Cauyan, Eliseo Cortez, Marilou V. Cruz and Sabina Torrea.

Last Wednesday, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) also filed charges of syndicated estafa, large scale syndicated estafa and carnapping against Anunciacion, Cauyan, Cortez, Torrea and Spouses Bienvenido Cruz and Marilou Vera Cruz.

In its complaint affidavit, NBI stated that Anunciacion led the group to the scheme to defraud the car owners by getting money from them.

The investigating DOJ panel chaired by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Rosanne Balauag will consolidate the new complaints to the first batch of complaints filed by PNP-HPG and the set of complaints filed by NBI.

The other members of the panel are SASP Rex Gingoyon; Reyes, Rodan Parrocha, Bryan Jacinto Cacha Jr., Anna Noreen Devanadera, Jovyanne Escaño-Santamaria and Assistant Prosecution Attorneys Wendell Bendoval, Joan Garcia and Marc Eico Tariga.

Last March 27, Anunciacion submitted her counter affidavit on the continuation of the preliminary investigation on the complaints against the scheme.

Anunciacion was arrested last March 2 by members of the Regional Highway Patrol Unit 4-A’s Special Operations Team by virtue of a warrant for estafa issued by Judge Francisco Pano of the San Pedro, Laguna Regional Trial Court Branch 93.

In her counter-affidavit, Anunciacion alleged that the complainants were only forced to file criminal charges against her by the Philippine National Police - Highway Patrol Group through a threat that they would no longer recover their vehicles.

Under the “rent-tangay” scheme, authorities said the suspects would convince car owners to become business associates in a rent-a-car service and have their cars rented for a hefty profit.

At first, the car owners will get paid but, unknowingly, in the end their vehicles will be pawned to other people and the suspects will disappear, making the victims unable to get their rented vehicles back. (PNA)

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