DILG: Carjack cases down by nearly 50%

MANILA, Philippines - Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo lauded the Philipine National Police (PNP) yesterday for cutting down by almost 50 percent the number of carjackings in the country last month.

Citing PNP reports, Robredo said only 53 carjackings happened in March as compared to 105 incidents for the same period last year, a decrease of 49.5 percent.

“I acknowledge the untiring efforts of the PNP that led to the continuous decline in the number of carjacking incidents in the country,” he said.

Of the 53 carjacked vehicles, 49 were stolen while parked while four were forcibly taken or seized at gunpoint from their owners.

Robredo said the National Capital Region has the most number of carjacking incidents last month compared to the rest of the country. In the NCR, the most number of carjackings were in Manila, followed by Quezon City.

Robredo urged the PNP – particularly its anti-carjacking arm, the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) – to unmask and arrest members of carjacking syndicates and to recover stolen vehicles.

He attributed the decline in carjackings last month to a series of initiatives launched by the PNP such as setting up checkpoints on all roads leading to seaports and enhanced collaboration with district anti-carjacking police units in Metro Manila.

Among the major accomplishments by the PNP in its anti-carjacking operations last month were the arrests of suspected carjacker and highway robber Francis Humiding and Alberta Lising, a carjacking suspect in Rizal.

Policemen intercepted Humiding along a provincial road in Ramon, Isabela while Lising was arrested in Rodriguez, Rizal while in possession of stolen motorcycles and picklocks.

Robredo said other carjackings reported to police stations last month all over the country turned out to be hoaxes. Cars were reported as stolen so the owner can claim the insurance or cover up pawning the vehicle to casinos or lending institutions. In other cases, creditors reported vehicles as stolen when owners refuse to pay monthly amortizations.