Police say car in Cavite shooting obtained through ‘pasalo’ modus

Police Brig. Gen. Alexander Tagum. (Photo from the Philippine Information Agency at https://newsdesk.pia.gov.ph/ )

MANILA, Philippines — The car used in the Nov. 6 shooting incident in Cavite, which led to killing of a police officer, was acquired through a new carnapping scheme known as “pasalo” (pass it on), chief of Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) revealed Tuesday.

“Immediately po nung gabi ng Friday nung naturang araw sumurender si [driver] Reymund De Leon Zuñiga sa Task Force ng Highway Patrol Team, tinurn-over niya iyong plaka at walang plaka at walang conduction sticker na Nissan Terra. After our investigation sa background at identity ng SUV [sports utility vehicle], napag-alaman namin na-carnap po itong sasakyan. Ito po iyong bagong version ng carnapping, itong tinatawag natin na pasalo,”  Police Brigadier General Alexander Tagum, chief of PNP-HPG, said over an interview with dzBB when asked about the background of the suspects in the shooting incident.

(Immediately, when Zuñiga surrendered on Friday night to the Task Force Highway Patrol Team, he turned over the license plate, as well as the Nissan Terra without the plate number. After investigation, the SUV turned out to be a product of carnapping. This is a new version of carnapping known as pasalo.)

“Pasalo” is a new carnapping scheme wherein a vehicle is being sold after it was purchased through a car loan, Tagum further explained.

“Ang modus ay may mga person na nag-apply ng car loan sa bangko na mayroon silang kasabwat sa loob. Despite na fictituos ang pangalan, aaprubahan ang car loan. Normally, po ito iyong mga nakapromo na no down payment so pagkakuha na yung vehicle, after a while ipapasa na niya po ito. Until that time magpasa pasa na po ito [vehicle] kaya ang tawag dito pasalo,” he said.

(The modus follows when a person applied for a car loan but he has accomplices. Despite using fictitious names, the car loan will be approved. Normally, vehicles with promo are being used so there is no down payment so once they acquire the vehicle, after a while they will pass it on which is why it is called pasalo.)

Zuñiga is the driver of gunman Methusael Cebrian, who had a bloody argument with Chief Master Sergeant Julius Arcalas of the Cavite Highway Patrol Team (HPT).

The police official confronted Cebrian after noticing that the gunman’s vehicle did not have a license plate. Cebrian then opened fire which led to the death of Arclas. The rest of HPT members retaliated, killing Cebrian.

On Nov. 8, Zuñiga, who escaped the crime scene in Cavite, yielded to authorities. Police already filed murder charges against him.

JPV