PNP-HPG warns public vs. 'rentangay' modus operandi

MANILA – The Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) on Thursday warned the public against the new modus operandi of carnappers now commonly known as "rentangay".

The usual victims of this modus are those who are in the business of van for hire where the carnappers even kill the owner or driver of the van.

In this modus, the suspects pose as renters who will call up the posted telephone number of the vehicle rental shop and strike a deal.

When the van owner agrees to meet with the supposed clients in a place for the payment to get the van for hire, that is the time that the crime will be committed such that the van will be forcibly taken, the driver will be killed and dumped anywhere else.

The latest victim of the suspects was identified as Jericho Mantile, a driver of a rent a van, who was found dead in Barangay Malitlit, Sta. Rosa City, Laguna.

During the follow-up operations conducted by the PNP-HPG Special Operations Division's "Task Force Limbas", an auto shop was discovered in a far-flung mountanuous area in Baguio City where the carnapped vehicles were dumped.

The operation was prompted by the reported carnapping of a dump truck with plate no. CXN-894 in San Miguel, Bulacan.

The same dump truck was seen on social media being sold for only P600,000 in Puigis, La Trinidad, Benguet.

The said dump truck was recovered, which happened to be owned by a cousin of Chief Supt. Fernando Mendez, Jr., Acting Director of the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM).

However, in a press conference on Thursday, Police Senior Insp. Jem Delantes of Task Force Limbas, refused to identify the owner of the auto shop and its financier because the investigation is ongoing to determine who are the people behind the carnapping syndicate. (PNA)