A Ferrari sports car seized from former House appropriations chairperson Zaldy Co was found to have falsified documentation and a “twin” license plate, the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) reported Monday.
HPG director Brig. Gen. Hansel Marantan said at a Camp Crame press briefing that the light metallic blue Ferrari, valued at approximately P37 million, bore a license plate registered to an entirely different vehicle.
A macro-etching examination confirmed the sports car does not match the Ferrari currently on file with the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
“You can’t use it outside, so you need a plate,” Marantan said, explaining why the vehicle likely bore the mismatched plate.
Marantan told the DAILY TRIBUNE that investigators suspect a “kambal plaka” scheme, in which legitimate plate numbers are duplicated for use on smuggled or stolen vehicles, often with the help of insiders at the LTO.
The Ferrari is among several luxury vehicles under police custody linked to the former Ako Bicol Partylist Representative, who recently resigned from Congress.
Marantan cited that a Lexus Hybrid model in their possession is cleared under the name of Mylene Resinto Co, the former congressman’s wife, while a GMC Cadillac was found to have no documentation at all.
Police are currently searching for 10 additional luxury vehicles allegedly linked to Co. Marantan said car dealers who sold the vehicles are cooperating with the investigation.
“I have passed the ball to the LTO for the verification of the Ferrari,” Marantan said, as authorities work to determine if the vehicles were smuggled or part of a larger car theft syndicate.