DILG chief orders probe of top gov’t officials’ links to carjack ring

By: Cecille Suerte Felipe – Philippine Star

Interior and Local Government Secretary Reynaldo Puno has ordered the Traffic Management Group (TMG) to investigate the possible involvement of ranking government officials in a car theft or carjacking syndicate operating nationwide.

Puno said the “Luzviminda” syndicate could not have operated as far as the Visayas and Mindanao without the collusion of regional officers or employees of the Land Transportaiton Office, and possibly, even those from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

“I have instructed the TMG under the leadership of Chief Superintendent Perfecto Palad to leave no stone unturned in its investigation into this syndicate,” Puno said.”I don’t care who gets hurt in the process, even if these are ranking government officials. We won’t have any sacred cows here.”

Palad said the recovered vehicles were mostly stolen at gunpoint in Metro Manila and hidden in various parts in Luzon while their tampered papers were being processed in regional LTO offices in Visayas and Mindanao.

Once the fake papers are completed, these “hot” cars are then sold, usually in the Visayas and Mindanao, Palad said.

Puno recently recommended Palad for the TMG’s recovery of at least 4.3 stolen luxury vehicles, of which 21 were retrieved in a span of less than three weeks from Feb. 24 to March 13.

Palad said the recovered cars were found sold mostly as brand new ones. Other vehicles were even in car showrooms with complete documentation, including registration papers and tax payments. Some are passed off as imported vehicles to the country via the Subic Freeport.

Puno said the tampered documents originated from regional offices of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and from the SBMA, which raises the possibility of government employees or officials being involved in the operations of this carjacking group.

“LTO chief Alberto Suansing is cooperating with us in uncovering the possible involvement of LTO officials in this criminal activity,” Puno said.

Among the recovered vehicles were six Mitsubishi Pajeros; four Toyota Fortuners; two Toyota Prados; two Toyota Revos; two Toyota Innovas; three Honda CRVs; an Isuzu Alterra; and a Mitsubishi L-300.

Palad said the vehicles, many of which had tampered engine and chassis numbers, were recovered by the TMG in operations in the cities of Davao and Cagayan De Oro.

The TMG officials identified the LTO offices in Toledo City in Cebu, Bislig in Surigao del Sur and Molave, Zamboanga del Sur, as the main sources of the license plates and registration papers used for the stolen vehicles.

Other sources are the LTO offices in Polomok, South Cotabato; Patinga-ay and Tubod towns in Lanao del Norte; Tagbilaran City in Bohol; and Marawi City.