Car theft cases in the country hit an all-time low in the first quarter of this year, but the police still want to lower carnap incidence further.
The Philippine National Police Traffic Management Group revealed that an average of about three vehicles were stolen daily during the said period. In 1998, the average was seven vehicles a day. Last year, it was six.
TMG chief Renato Paredes said crackdowns on car theft syndicates and moves to "deny them the market," resulted in the big drop in car thefts.
Meanwhile, National Capital Region police head Edgar Aglipay urged used car parts dealers to organize and police their ranks to prevent becoming unwitting accomplices of carnap rings.
"They can contribute greatly to solving the problem," he said, adding that police would start visiting second-hand auto parts shops, not only in Metro Manila but in other parts of the country, to solicit cooperation in fighting carnapping.
Quezon City still tops the list with an average of 21 stolen vehicles a day. Manila, second, with eight vehicles per day.
Both Paredes and Aglipay vowed to further lower the carnap rate this quarter.