MANILA, Philippines -- Another high-end vehicle stolen in Metro Manila last year was recovered in Iligan City, prompting the Philippine National Police (PNP) to submit a recommendation to Malacañang which urges President Aquino to revive the issuance of police clearance in all seaports nationwide for all vehicles being transported particularly to the Visayas and Mindanao.

No less than PNP Chief Director General Raul Bacalzo expressed confidence that Aquino is likely to approve their recommendation which gives the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) authority to check on all vehicles for transport via seaports.

“We know that  the President’s directive is needed to revive that policy. That is actually our recommendation— for him to issue a directive on that,” said Bacalzo in an interview.

Quoting field reports, Highway Patrol Group Director Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina,  said  oneToyota Rav 4 (XEG-865) was initially apprehended by his men for sporting an expired commemorative plate along a national highway in Barangay Tubod, Iligan City.

“The driver of the vehicle failed to show original car documents and it was during the verification that our men found that the vehicle is included in the list of stolen vehicles,” said Espina.

The car, Espina said, is registered to Juan Cruz Ramirez of Pasig City and was reported to have been carnapped on May 22 last year.

Espina said that this is not the first time that it happened, stressing that almost 50 percent of the stolen vehicles they recovered in the Visayas and Mindanao since June last year were found to have been carnapped in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.

PNP recommended the revival of the policy after the discovery of said modus operandi wherein car thieves would proceed directly to the port to transport the carnapped vehicle for delivery to their client in the province, mostly in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Aside from his all-out support to carnapping activities, Bacalzo said Aquino will also certainly approve the guidelines that they are planning to map out in order to ensure that the revival of clearance policy on vehicles for transport will not be abused.

“Our anti-carnapping operations are paying off. Even the President recognized that when he mentioned in one of his speeches that there is a significant reduction in cases of carnapping activities for the last three months,” said Bacalzo.