PNP ordered to fix carnapped vehicle handling irregularities

Senator Raffy Tulfo sounded the alarm over the rampant cases of “rent-tangay," a form of carnapping wherein a person pretends to rent a vehicle but will no longer return it and will just go into hiding.

In his privilege speech on Wednesday, Tulfo said the Philippine National Police (PNP) should address this concern head on but should likewise resolve the alleged irregularities in the handling of carnapped vehicles.

"I am concerned about this news because many cases like this have reached my program," Tulfo said in Filipino.

Tulfo cited for example a Ford Everest which was reported stolen after being rented by a Chinese national named Wang Huiyi.

However, Tulfo said that the owner of the sports utility vehicle (SUV) eventually traced it through a global positioning system or GPS installed in the car and saw that it was parked inside Camp Crame’s Married Officers’ Quarters where high-ranking officials reside.

"If I were the owner of the vehicle, I don't know whether I would be happy, annoyed, or scared. My vehicle was stolen and then suddenly I can trace the vehicle to Camp Crame? And even to the residence of senior PNP officials?" he said.

The senator further questioned the conflicting statements of PNP officials regarding the vehicle’s presence in Camp Crame.

While the Anti-Kidnapping Group insisted the SUV was parked due to lack of space, PNP Headquarters Support Service claimed that the parking was unauthorized and that an investigation was ongoing.

"What is the PNP really doing? Was there no irregularity or should someone be held accountable? This shouldn't be debated. The fact that the owner was able to find his vehicle through his own GPA is clear that something was wrong," Tulfo said.

He stressed that this instance is another sign of abuse of authority and impunity in the ranks of the PNP, "Why wasn't the PNP informed immediately?"

While he acknowledged that the government’s attention is currently focused on infrastructure projects, Tulfo called the attention of the PNP’s new leadership to double down in purging the police force of scallawags and Ninja cops.

“While this incident might not have made the front pages, it seems that the problem is there and we should not ignore it," he said.

"The leadership of the PNP must be swift in acting on this before the whole PNP burns down."