Highway Patrol Group belies trader's claim on impounded vehicle

Cebu - The Highway Patrol Group 7 yesterday belied the claim of businessman Wilky Lim that he owns the Toyota Fortuner the group seized in Mandaue City last January 7.

Verification with the Land Transportation Office in Manila reportedly revealed that the vehicle’s engine and chassis numbers were originally acquired by a certain Cesar Paulo of Quezon City.

It appeared that Paulo bought the vehicle from the Balintawak branch of Toyota but the car was later mortgaged with the Toyota Financial Services.

Further information gathered by HPG from TFS also revealed that Paulo failed to pay his obligation to the financing institution.

HPG-7 chief Antonio Gardiola relayed this information to Lim in a note sent last Thursday.

Lim earlier asked the Regional Trial Court to order the return of the vehicle and assess the police damages worth P230,000, saying the HPG did not have any legal basis to seize the vehicle.

The patrol group flagged and seized the vehicle while it was cruising along Escario Street last January 7.

But Lim argued that his vehicle has never been distrained or taken for any tax assessment or fine pursuant to law and was even issued a vehicle clearance certificate after undergoing a macro-etching at the PNP Crime Laboratory to prove that it was not tampered or altered with.

Lim said he bought the vehicle from a certain Rossman Mulchandani.

Last Thursday, TFS representative Angelo Yabut personally went to the HPG office and presented a copy of a separate civil case TFS filed against Paulo before the RTC in Manila and requested HPG to release the vehicle.

The Toyota Fortuner is now under the custody of TFS. — Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot/JMO (THE FREEMAN)