MikeLigalig.com

By Kit Bagaipo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Traffic Management Group (TMG) based in Cebu confirmed that some car dealers in Bohol have sold stolen cars here.

A TMG team, led by Police Inspector Doroteo Tolentino, had seized eight vehicles during separate operations conducted since last week.

Bohol TMG chief Sr. Ins. Eduardo Mara said that local car dealers, believed to be members of a nationwide carnapping syndicate, have sold the hot cars.

All the confiscated vehicles have been registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Tagbilaran City.

But the LTO-Tagbilaran said they require the owners of used vehicles to submit a certificate of clearance from the TMG before the vehicle could be registered. The TMG also explained that, before they issue a clearance, they ask the Philippine National Police (PNP) crime laboratory to examine the vehicle through macro-etching to check whether the engine and chassis numbers matched the ones recorded on the official receipt and the certificate of registration.

During a hearing conducted by the Bohol provincial board, Mara explained the PNP crime laboratory is tasked to determine, through macro-etching, the authenticity of the chassis and engine numbers of vehicles.

However, Bohol PNP crime laboratory chief Police Officer 3 Florentino Diola said the PNP crime laboratory lacked the capability to determine if the "secret" vehicle codes were tampered.

Both Diola and Tagbilaran City LTO registrar Joel Maloloy-on said the TMG did not furnish them a list of stolen cars.

Several Boholanos, including a city government official, have been among those who bought the alleged carjacked vehicles.

The official said he bought the car, which was reportedly carjacked in Quezon City in 2002, from a local businessman, who acquired it from a used vehicle dealer based in Tagbilaran City.

Former Panglao Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan, in an interview over dyRD-Tagbilaran, admitted that he was almost victimized by a certain Ponso of the village of Libaong, Panglao, who sold him a second-hand sports utility vehicle (SUV) for P950,000 a few years ago.

However, Dumaluan said he returned the vehicle and got a refund when he sensed there were irregularities in the transaction.

Another buyer also identified Ponso as the one who sold her an SUV for P420,000.

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=5093.0