Be careful when buying second-hand cars-LTO

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu has become a transshipment point of carnapped vehicles and the public must be careful in buying second-hand cars.

This was the statement of Land Transportation Office (LTO-7) Regional Director Raul Aguilos after police recovered from businessman Jovel Tan Entote high-end vehicles believed to be carnapped in Metro Manila.

 “Cebu City has become the transshipment area for illegal motor vehicles. The buyers should investigate before they buy. Check the history of the vehicle at our office because there, you can determine if that vehicle has prior illegal connections,” Aguilos said.

He added buyers should not be tempted by the attractive prices of these high-end cars because there’s a big possibility that these vehicles have illegal documents.

He asked the public to help curb car smuggling and carnapping cases.

 “Let us be strict in buying cars. Kun walay buyer, walay seller, walay carnapper. Let us be aware of these kind of vehicles,” he said.

Meanwhile, lawyer Gregorio Refogio withdrew the writ of habeas data and writ of amparo that they filed following the arrest of Entote and his wife, Mary Anne.

Refogio said they decided to withdraw the two petitions after the Regional Highway Patrol Group (RHPG), through their counsel Edwin Engay, assured they will pull out the officers from the couple’s house in Barangay Banilad.

The couple was earlier arrested for their alleged involvement in a car theft syndicate.

But Mary Anne was released after the inquest proceedings.

Prosecutor Joseph Val Carillo said the complaint against Mary Anne was not dismissed but it has to be be filed under regular preliminary investigation.

Refogio said filing of writ of amparo was to secure the life and liberty of the children because they were threatened by the presence of the police officers from Saturday until Monday.

But Engay clarified that the presence of their officers in the couple’s house was not meant to harass them and their children but to ensure the implementation of the search warrant.

“There is nothing personal with the children. In fact, the children were not implicated in the criminal complaint,” he said.– (FREEMAN)