8 out of 10 car thefts in Philippines occur in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines—Eight of 10 vehicle thefts from January to July in the Philippines occurred in Metro Manila, with Quezon City remaining as the “car theft capital,” accounting for more than a fourth of all cases, the Philippine National Police said.

The PNP Highway Patrol Group said the National Capital Region recorded the biggest number of stolen motor vehicles in the country with 84 percent of all incidents.

The Calabarzon area (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and the Central Luzon region were a distant second and third, accounting for 10 percent and five percent of the total, respectively.

In Metro Manila, 26 percent of all cases, or 71 stolen cars and 45 stolen motorcycles, occurred in Quezon City, followed closely by Manila with 21 percent (48 cars and 44 motorcycles stolen). Makati was a far third with only 7 percent.

But in its report, the HPG, headed by Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina, noted a dramatic fall in the number of car thefts during the first seven months of this year compared with the same period in 2010.

It said there was a steep 56.38 percent decline in the number of incidents with only 536 cases from January to July of 2011 from 1,229 cases a year earlier. The total included both stolen cars and motorcycles.

The HPG also reported an improved recovery rate, successfully retrieving 398 stolen vehicles in the first seven months compared with only 223 in 2010.

It attributed the decline in car theft cases to major accomplishments in neutralizing criminal syndicates, including the Dominguez car theft group, which was tagged in a number of high-profile cases.