The Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) has recovered over 10,000 stolen vehicles nationwide, many of which were taken through the so-called “rentangay” scheme.
The recovered units, covering the period from September 1 to November 24, have already been returned to their owners, the HPG added.
The operation is under the Balik Sasakyan Program of the PNP-HPG, wherein it has returned around 2,000 vehicles and 8,746 motorcycles.
“Rentangay tapos yung isa Pay to Return. Parang ganun na rin (most of the returned vehicles came from the rentangay and pay-to-return modus, which are essentially the same),” PNP-HPG chief Police Colonel Hansel Marantan told reporters on Tuesday.
Marantan said that recovery of stolen vehicles usually starts with flagging down the vehicles for traffic law violations by the Land Transportation Office operatives.
“When we went deeper into questioning the document, they could not present proof of ownership, and then we went even deeper into the investigation. It turns out hindi naman sa kanila (they do not own the vehicles),” he said.
The “rentangay” modus is a scheme where the car thief leases a vehicle-for-rent unit but will not return it.
In the same period, the HPG reported that it had arrested 277 persons and recovered 12 firearms linked to various criminal activities, according to an HPG statement.
It has also impounded 2,738 motor vehicles and 10,928 motorcycles for violations of traffic laws.
HPG said it has seized at least 45 sirens, 980 blinkers, and 8 mufflers, which are subject to destruction.
“Their destruction aims to reinforce lawful road safety practices, prevent the misuse of emergency equipment, and support the integrity of legitimate police operations,” HPG said in the statement.
