Stolen cars sold in Mindanao after ‘rebirth’ in Cebu, says police officer

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines—Car thieves in Metro Manila and Luzon continue to use Mindanao as their trading ground after giving stolen vehicles a “rebirthing” in Cebu, a regional commander of the Philippine National Police’s Highway Patrol Group (HPG) said.

Senior Superintendent Gregorio Pimentel, head of the HPG’s Northern Mindanao regional office, said on Tuesday that this theory came about following the recent recovery of at least seven stolen vehicles by HPG operatives here and in Misamis Oriental.

The vehicles included an Isuzu Crosswind owned by Leonardo Morito of Cabuyao, Laguna, and vehicles registered to Lucila Joson of Mandaluyong City, Franz Johann Garcia of Bacoor, Cavite, and Imelda Oliver of Muntilupa City.

He said in many cases, the car thieves brought the stolen vehicles to Mindanao after they were ‘rebirthed” in Cebu.

“Rebirthing,” he said, was the process of “giving new identities to stolen vehicles by giving them new chassis and engine numbers.”

Pimentel said that based on their investigation, four of the recovered vehicles were registered in the offices of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Cebu and Talisay City.

In supporting his statement that Mindanao was being used as trading ground, Pimentel said a Toyota Hilux that was forcibly taken in Pampanga was also recovered here.

He said the HPG was currently conducting follow up investigation in coordination with the LTO offices where the stolen vehicles had been registered.

Last year, the HPG filed charges against LTO officials in Lanao del Norte and in Butuan City on suspicion they were colluding with car theft syndicates.

The charges were brought after the HPG busted an alleged carjacking group led by Charlie Lim in Butuan City.