Palace wants TMG whipped into shape

Malacañang directed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Arturo Lomibao yesterday to whip into shape the Traffic Management Group (TMG) following the alarming increase in car theft incidents in Metro Manila.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the increase in incidents should be of concern to the PNP, particularly the unit tasked to prevent such crimes.

"The PNP should put to task the TMG to do something about these carjacking incidents since its the TMG’s duty to prevent such crimes. They should do their job," Ermita said.

"Maybe the PNP should find out why these continue unabated," he added.

Ermita said action should be taken against non-performing TMG officials and personnel.

In an effort to make up for their failure to address car theft incidents in Metro Manila, TMG director Chief Superintendent Ricardo Quinto has ordered the deployment of 100 uniformed personnel and a dozen mobile cars to go after car thieves.

"These 100 cops will conduct 24-hour monitoring. I have also ordered my intelligence agents to step up their operation to identify and arrest car thieves," Quinto said.

He noted that some car thieves are heavily armed whenever they carry out their illegal activities. The TMG chief called on the public to immediately report to authorities any suspicious individuals roaming around parking areas.

Some car thieves often flag down prospective victims, usually from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. Their choice of vehicles are brand new sedans and sports utility vehicles.

Aside from taking vehicles at gunpoint, car thieves often take cash and belongings from the owners. In some cases, thieves even order their victims to withdraw from ATMs.

Without giving comparative details, Quinto claimed to have successfully brought down the number of car thefts nationwide by 4.76 percent from January to August this year compared to last year.

He said car thefts in Quezon City decreased by 14.23 percent, Makati City by 24.7 percent, Manila by 20.73 percent and Pasig City by 26.67 percent.

The TMG has so far recorded more than 30,000 violations and recovered 12 stolen vehicles during the implementation of the "no plate, no travel" policy of the government.

On the rise

In Metro Manila, however, car theft incidents have risen significantly during the first eight months of the year.

Reports reaching Metro police chief Director Vidal Querol revealed that a total of 987 motor vehicles were stolen in Metro Manila from January to August this year, up 2.9 percent from the 959 recorded for the same period last year.

The figure for 2003 was 910.

"The car theft cases rose, but there is no cause for alarm because the NCRPO is doing its utmost to reduce the number of stolen vehicles in the coming months," Querol said.

He has directed his five district directors and 37 station commanders to develop a system and implement measures to reduce to the lowest level the number of stolen vehicle cases in the next few months.

"We should develop an innovative system to curb car theft cases so car owners can leave their vehicles at parking lots and on side streets without fear that they would be stolen," Querol pointed out. "We should involve the community in our effort."

Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., NCRPO intelligence chief, said of the 987 motor vehicles stolen in the first eight months of the year, 598 were cars and vans while the rest were motorcycles.

Rojas said 795 vehicles were stolen while parked, 143 were forcibly taken from their drivers and 48 were borrowed from their owners, but were not returned.

Querol pointed out that the campaign against car thieves is the main responsibility of the TMG.

"Their expertise is catching car thieves. Kami ay suporta lang," he said.

The TMG’s inability to curb car theft cases was reportedly one of the reasons why Quinto was included in the latest reshuffle of senior officers last Sept. 10.

He was supposed to slide down to the post of deputy of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force. Groomed to replace Quinto was Chief Superintendent Augusto Angcanan, deputy chief for administration of the NCRPO.

Quinto, however, managed to keep his post. – With Non Alquitran, Rhodina Villanueva