By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – The Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) has recovered 10 vehicles linked to a “rent-tangay” scheme in Batangas and Laguna, dealing a major blow to an emerging fraudulent vehicle rental network operating across the Calabarzon Region.
The vehicles were recovered during operations conducted May 7 and 8, the PNP said in a news release Tuesday.
“The recovery of these 10 vehicles is a clear testament to our evolving intelligence capabilities. We are no longer just looking for stolen cars on the road. We are dismantling the fraudulent networks that exploit the trust of our citizens through ‘rent-tangay’ (steal) and ‘rent-benta’ (sell) schemes,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.
“This operation significantly dents the local supply chain of illegally acquired vehicles in the Calabarzon region,” he added.
According to the PNP-HPG, a female suspect allegedly gained the trust of neighbors by availing of long-term vehicle rental arrangements, supposedly for company use.
Authorities said the suspect initially returned some vehicles on time, before later failing to return others, which were allegedly sold, pawned as collateral or retained without the owners’ consent.
Of the 10 recovered vehicles, three were found in Santa Cruz, Laguna; six were recovered in San Pascual, Batangas; while one unit was voluntarily surrendered to the HPG office in Laguna.
All recovered vehicles have since been returned to their rightful owners.
Nartatez directed the HPG to intensify its case build-up efforts and expedite the filing of appropriate charges against the suspect, including carnapping and estafa.
He also urged other possible victims in the Calabarzon Region to come forward.
PNP-HPG Acting Director Brig. Gen. Rommel Batangan emphasized the importance of timely coordination with authorities and technology-assisted monitoring in combating motor vehicle-related crimes.
“We encourage the public to remain vigilant in vehicle rental transactions and immediately report any irregular activity to authorities,” Batangan said in a separate statement. (PNA)
