Court assured none of 18 hot cars missing

CEBU - Former Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group deputy chief Ricardo Collantes yesterday appeared before the court to assure that the 18 suspected smuggled vehicles they earlier seized from a Mandaue City warehouse were intact contrary to what was reported by the team that conducted an inventory.

Collantes assured Regional Trial Court judge Geraldine Faith Econg that no vehicle was missing. He said that a Starex Van and the Hyundai V6 were not seen by the inventory team because these were placed in another area.

Collantes however could not explain why most of the seized vehicles have been cannibalized. He said he will ask the other members of PASG why the tires, aircon, stereos and even the engines were already missing.

Econg has given Collantes until tomorrow, Friday to submit his written explanation about it and also why they failed to turn over the vehicles to the Bureau of Customs. According to Econg, she will hear these issues on Monday.

If found out that the seized vehicles were indeed cannibalized in the custody of the PASG, Econg said she will refer the case to the proper government agency to conduct the investigation and file the necessary charges.

Econg explained that it is no longer with the court’s authority to conduct the investigation.

She however noted the inconsistencies in the position of PASG in the case. According to her, Collantes earlier filed a motion to take custody of the seized vehicles for further determination of probable violation committed by Michael Nengasca, occupant of the Song Pa Trading Warehouse, which they raided on April 19.

Econg said she then granted the motion but six months later Collantes returned to her explaining that they have not filed any case because the Bureau of Customs has not determined whether there were violations committed by the owner.

Collantes allegedly asked for the turnover of the custody of the vehicles to the Bureau of Customs. However, Econg did not allow the turnover until the proper inventory is conducted.

“Before any turnover, we would like to know if everything is in order so that they will not end up blaming each other,” Econg said.

Thus, an inventory was conducted by her clerk of court, lawyer Chevin Vasquez, last Monday and Tuesday.

The team of Vasquez found out that two of the 18 seized vehicles were already missing.

Vasquez said that they also noted during the inventory that most of the vehicles appeared to have been cannibalized.

The vehicles were seized by PASG-7 operatives from Nengasca’s warehouse claiming that these were illegally imported. The seizure was based on the search warrant issued by Econg for alleged violation of Executive Order 156, which bans the importation of used vehicles. — Fred P. Languido/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)