‘Rent-sangla’ mastermind granted bail

Police inspect recovered vehicles at Camp Crame in Quezon City. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

SAN PEDRO CITY—The alleged mastermind of the multimillion-peso scam involving the pawning of brand-new vehicles was arrested in Laguna province on Thursday but the court allowed her to post bail on Friday.

In a telephone interview, Senior Insp. Myra Novilla, spokesperson of the police’s Highway Patrol Group (HPG) in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region, said the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 93 in this city had set the bail amount at P40,000 for the temporary liberty of Rafaela Anunciacion.

Anunciacion, 56, is the alleged mastermind of the “rent-sangla” scheme that asked vehicle owners to invest in a car rental business. Unknown to the victims, Anunciacion and her cohorts would in turn pawn the vehicles to other people.

Anunciacion was charged with estafa, a bailable offense.

Novilla, however, said the HPG was preparing to file separate cases of syndicated estafa and estafa in large scale against Anunciacion in the Department of Justice.

“Several complainants have also filed separate cases [against Anunciacion] in Caloocan and Parañaque, for which we are waiting [for the issuance of] arrest warrants,” she said.

Novilla said Anunciacion was arrested at 8:30 p.m. Thursday in her house in Santa Rosa City, also in Laguna.

Police were armed with a warrant issued by RTC Branch 93 Judge Francisco Pano.

Also named respondents were Anunciacion’s agents identified as Eleanor Rosales, a resident of Santa Rosa; Anastacia Cauyan of Biñan City; and Jhennelyn Berroyo of this city. Police have yet to arrest them.

The regional HPG in January began a series of operations after several complaints were filed against the suspects.

Police have recovered 466 vehicles, most of these latest models of sedans and sport utility vehicles.

The HPG have returned at least 170 vehicles to its owners.

“Most of the vehicles were high-end [models and equipped with] GPS (global positioning system) so we were able to trace them,” Novilla said. —MARICAR CINCO