Hijackers abandon tanker with P1-M bunker fuel

MANILA, Philippines - A tanker truck carrying almost P1 million worth of bunker fuel was abandoned in Pampanga after being hijacked in Quezon City Saturday night.

Senior Police Officer 4 Alan dela Cruz, head of the theft and robbery investigation section of the Quezon City Police District, said the Mexico, Pampanga police station recovered the Prometheum Trucking Service’s tanker truck (UUC-592) at past 9 a.m. Sunday along the Sta. Maria provincial road, its 20,000 liters of bunker fuel untouched.

Dela Cruz said hijackers might have abandoned the cargo after finding out that it contained bunker fuel instead of petroleum or diesel. He explained that bunker fuel is usually used for factories, plants and ships and is much harder to sell compared to gasoline or diesel.

He said the Mexico police received a report from a concerned citizen about an abandoned tanker truck and deployed a patrol unit to the area. The police contacted the tanker’s owner and learned that the vehicle was hijacked Saturday night at the corner of D. Tuazon and Roxas streets in La Loma, Quezon City.

Driver Edwin Mandawe and helper Willy Mesina got the fuel from the Pandacan oil depot and were supposed to bring it to Ugong, Valenzuela City when they were flagged down by eight men wearing police uniforms, who introduced themselves as members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.