EDITORIAL - Hot bike

How does a luxury motorcycle stolen in Texas end up halfway around the globe, in a place called Talakag in the Philippine province of Bukidnon? The owner of the custom-made $80,000 motorcycle, Hollywood screenwriter Skip Woods, was reportedly surprised but pleased that the vehicle, stolen outside his condominium unit in Houston, was recovered last Tuesday by Philippine authorities.

The motorcycle was seized from a warehouse together with about 20 other luxury sport utility vehicles, a sports car and several Harley Davidson big bikes. Also seized were ammunition for assault rifles and a shotgun. Police are still looking for car dealer Allan Bigcas, who was reportedly trying to sell the vehicles online.

How did a motorcycle as conspicuous as Woods’ enter the Philippines undetected? One also wonders whether the police raid would have been staged if the US Federal Bureau of Investigation had not alerted the Philippine National Police about the missing motorcycle from Texas.

At least it wasn’t the world’s most wanted terrorist that was found in the Philippines. Pakistan is still groping for an appropriate response to the spectacular raid, staged without its knowledge by US forces, on a fortified compound in the suburbs of the capital Islamabad that led to the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The world’s top terrorist had long been suspected to have taken refuge in Pakistan after being driven out of neighboring Afghanistan.

But the discovery of a stolen top-of-the-line motorcycle in the Philippines should also raise concern about how easy it can be to bring in all types of contraband into this country. The discovery is not the first of its kind. When the late Angelo Reyes headed the anti-smuggling campaign of the previous administration, an illegal shipment of motorcycles was intercepted in Northern Luzon and was traced to an influential politician. Reyes was promptly taken out of the anti-smuggling campaign and given another job.

Philippine authorities are hard-pressed enough to patrol the country’s extensive coastline. The job is made harder by politicians and other public officials who protect smugglers or are directly involved in the illegal activity. Bigcas must be found and made to reveal how a motorcycle stolen an ocean away ended up in his possession. Perhaps the national embarrassment resulting from this case will lead to improvements in the campaign against smuggling.