PHILIPPINE National Police territorial units have turned over 82 stolen motor vehicles to the PNP Highway Patrol Group in the wake of PNP chief Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome’s strict directive against the use of recovered stolen vehicles.
PNP-HPG director Chief Superintendent Leonardo A. Espina said that from September 19 to date, different PNP territorial forces have turned over 12 stolen four-wheeled motor vehicles and 13 motorcycles.Since January, Espina said 33 recovered stolen motor vehicles and 49 motorcycles have been turned over by different police regional offices and national support units.
He said they are getting solid support from the NCRPO headed by Director Alan LM Purisima in the implementation of PNP Standard Operating Procedure 2011-004.The SOP requires all PNP territorial units and NSUs to turn over all recovered and impounded motor vehicles to the PNP-HPG or face administrative sanctions. The move is aimed at the possibility that recovered stolen motor vehicles be used for any other purposes, Bartolome added.
Espina said he has instructed all 17 regional highway patrol units to continue implementing their anti-carnapping operations particularly targeting car thieves and recovering stolen motor vehicles as well as the strict enforcement of the Helmet Law, ‘no plate, no travel’ policy and the accounting of all recovered stolen vehicles in the hands of territorial police forces.
PNP personnel are also prohibited from replacing/removing any part of or accessory of the recovered stolen/impounded motor vehicle or cause the replacement/removal of any part of accessory by any person unless there is a written authority from the chief/head of the PNP Unit where the vehicle is impounded and which replacement/removal of said part/accessory shall be for preservation purposes.
