Five persons nabbed over stolen vehicle; cop implicated

Police arrested five persons suspected of belonging to a carnapping ring operating in Cebu City.

A policeman formerly assigned at the Highway Patrol Group in Central Visayas (HPG-7) was also linked to the group.

The five arrested civilians and PO2 Arvin Hernandez will be charged for violation of the Republic Act (RA) 6539 also known as the Anti-Carnapping Act of 1972, said Chief Insp. Eduard Mara, operations chief of the HPG-7.

Arrested were Nexson Rosales Jumao-as, Christian Tongco dela Cruz, Ralph Ryan dela Cerna Catulong, Reycris Rapaya Gonzaga and Danilo Bataluna Campillan.

The arrest stemmed from the complaint of Felix Enopia, who went to the HPG-7 office on Tuesday to report the disappearance of his Suzuki multicab.

Enopia said the vehicle was parked outside his house in sitio Nonoc, barangay Tabunok, Talisay, when it was stolen.

After reporting the loss to the police, Enopia was told to return the next day to present the vehicle’s certificate of registration and official receipt.

When he returned the next day, he was surprised to see his multicab parked near the office of the PNP Crime Laboratory with a different license plate on it instead of the original plate number GTD-788.

The multicab was about to be sold for P25,000 by PO2 Hernandez to the chief of the PNP Crime Laboratory.

Meanwhile, PO2 Hernandez said it was Jumao-as, his friend, who asked him to look for a buyer of the multicab and that he would get a commission.

Without checking if it was a stolen car or not, PO2 Hernandez said he tried to sell the car to Senior Supt. Jose Antonio Rodrigo, chief of the PNP Crime Laboratory.

Hernandez cooperated in the investigation conducted by HPG-7.

Members of the HPG-7 and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7) then arrested Jumao-as on Wednesday afternoon on T. Padilla Street.

Jumao-as then pointed to Dela Cruz and Catulong as the ones who asked him to sell the multicab.

Dela Cruz said they bought the vehicle for P15,000 from a certain Danny, whose complete name was later known as Danilo Bataluna Campillian.

Dela Cruz said Campillian was with Gonzaga when they sold the car.

Chief Insp. Mara said the arrested civilians denied involvement in the carnapping and instead resorted to “finger-pointing.”