MikeLigalig.com

By Kit Bagaipo

The four operatives of the Traffic Management Group (TMG) being charged for "serious breach of procedure" in apprehending alleged stolen cars here are blaming the Bohol PNP Crime Laboratory for its failure to detect tampering of engine and chassis numbers of vehicles.

C/Insp. Joseph Orsos, head of the TMG legal division, said in an interview with the Chronicle that based on results of their investigation, all of the eight vehicles seized during recovery operations here are registered to its original owners in Manila.

According to their documents, Orsos claimed, all the 8 vehicles underwent macro-etching at the Bohol PNP Crime Lab and were issued certification, prior to having been cleared and registered by the TMG and later the Land Transportation Office.          

Orsos said the Crime Lab at Camp Dagohoy "failed to conduct an extensive examination of the vehicles" which the four TMG operatives eventually recovered here.

Although he considers it "a technical glitch", Orsos said the Bohol PNP Crime Lab is still "liable for [their] negligence."

Macro etching is done to determine the true identity of the vehicle by making a carbon copy of the car's secret codes (engine and chassis number). Secret codes of most stolen cars are altered, according to Ursos.

"The TMG only possess a list of stolen vehicles," he said. "It is the Crime Lab which can determine if the vehicles secret codes are tampered or not. If the Crime Lab releases an erroneous report on the results of its laboratory inspection, then the TMG will also issue an erroneous certification of the vehicle."

source: The Bohol Chronicle, A A Bi-Weekly Newspaper

Granting for the sake of argument that there was laboratory error, that will not exonerate the four (4) TMG men from the administrative charge of “serious breach of procedure”.   Granting that the eight ( SUV’s were hot cars, the TMG has no summary power to confiscate them without court orders.  So these TMG men are now in serious trouble for making procedural shortcuts.  This could not have happened if only they do their job above board.  They are tasked to solve the carnapping menace by catching the carnappers.  But what they are doing is that they maintain liaison with the carnappers who tips them of the whereabouts of the hot cars, such as: where they sold them; what’s the new plate number and new color.  With these informations at hand, ilang gulaton ang nakapalit (like what they did in bohol).  And once they got the hot car, they will turn it over to the Insurance Company where it was declared by the original owner as “total loss”.  And I heard that the TMG gets a windfall of cash bonus for every hot car they turned over to the insurer.  I heard it’s several times bigger than the commission of a car salesman. Busa og imong tanawon, ang TMG daghan og accomplishment when it comes to recovery of hot cars, but zero accomplishment when it comes to apprehension of carnappers.  So it’s high time that the TMG should be abolished.  TMG, walay gamit nga police agency tungod kay wala sila makasolbad sa crimen.