Suspected financier of car theft gang arrested

MANILA, Philippines –  A man suspected of being a car theft gang’s financer was arrested by Highway Patrol Group (HPG)-Task Force Limbas agents and Valenzuela City police officers during an operation in Pampanga province Friday night.

Senior Superintendent Eric Serafin Reyes, Valenzuela City police chief, identified the suspect as Rommel Malong, 41, a resident of Angeles City in Pampanga.

Malong’s arrest came after Dante Baluyot, 38, of Magalang, Pampanga, was apprehended by the Valenzuela City police in an entrapment operation for trying to sell a stolen Toyota Vios (ZSX-775) to a police undercover agent for P400,000 Friday morning in Marilao, Bulacan.

Baluyot, who claimed to be a sugar cane farmer moonlighting as a used car dealer, was accused by Luisito de Belen, 38, of Valenzuela City, of selling him another stolen Vios (PIA-855) for P350,000 in November last year.

“Baluyot is a car shop owner in Pampanga where he refurbishes the stolen vehicles, mostly taxi cabs, and sell them for big profit,” Reyes told The STAR yesterday.

Baluyot told police that Malong is the alleged source of the stolen vehicles.

Reyes said that according to Baluyot, Malong would buy the stolen cars for P40,000 to P50,000 then improve them, secure fake documents and sell the cars to unsuspecting buyers. 

Chief Inspector Danilo Bugay, Valenzuela City police intelligence and investigation chief, and the local anti-carnapping unit led by SPO1 Manuel Griarte, PO3 Servando Madocdoc, and PO3 Roger Ireneo with a team of HPG-Task Force Limbas led by Senior Inspector Erwin Casil arrested Malong in Dau, Pampanga at around 7 p.m.

“We are now in the process of backtracking the suspects’ operation to find out what group they belong and of their other victims,” Reyes said.

Griarte said they tracked down Baluyot through De Belen after the latter sought their help when he found that the documents of the Vios he bought from the suspect were dubious.

“We contacted Baluyot that we are interested in buying a car. He invited us to Pampanga but we were able to negotiate and convince him to bring the car in Marilao, Bulacan, where we arrested him,” Griarte said. 

As for the other Vios (ZSX-775) seized from Baluyot in Friday’s entrapment, police said its engine and chassis numbers belonged to another Vios with plate number NID-344 stolen last Feb. 16 in Barangay Ugong in Valenzuela City.