Discontented with the government’s response to the rising number of car theft cases, a crime watch group has formed its own task force against car thieves.
The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Sunday announced the creation of its Vigilantes Against Carnappers task force during a media forum in Sampaloc, Manila.
“We organized this because we see the government has been weak in addressing car [theft] and seems to need assistance,” VACC chairman Dante Jimenez said in an interview.
Jimenez added that they were also alarmed by the lack of progress in the authorities’ investigation of car theft cases.
According to Jimenez, the task force will be headed by Arsenio “Boy” Evangelista, the father of Venson Evangelista, a car dealer who was killed in January allegedly by members of the Dominguez car theft group.
Around 1,000 volunteers will be sworn in as members of the task force during the VACC anniversary this month, Jimenez said.
They will be in charge of bringing car theft victims together so that they can collect information about car theft gangs and their modus operandi. At the same time, the task force will also alert vehicle owners on measures they can take to protect themselves against car thieves.
Jimenez, meanwhile, advised vehicle owners to arm themselves with licensed firearms. “How else can they defend themselves? Will they wait to be killed? Are criminals the only ones who have a right to live?” he said.
Jimenez added that the task force was a “challenge to law enforcement agencies” to step up their operations against car theft groups.
At the same time, he expressed concern over the possibility that some personnel in government agencies or insurance companies may be working in connivance with car thieves.
“The community pillars are sacrificed because the industry is a lucrative one,” Jimenez noted.
He observed that the reports that car theft cases were on the decline, as mentioned by President Aquino in his recent State of the Nation Address, were “inaccurate.”
“A car theft [case was reported] in New Manila, Quezon City [just recently],” Jimenez said.
On Friday, Marlon Quiocho, the driver of a Pasay City Regional Trial Court judge, was shot dead when he refused to turn over a Mitsubishi Montero (NGP 591) to armed thieves in Barangay (village) Tandang Sora, Quezon City.
Those who want to join the VACC anticar theft task force may contact Arsenio Evangelista at 0908-8858138, 3412854 or e-mail arsenioe@yahoo.com.