HAGONOY, Bulacan—Police intensified visibility and checkpoint operations in all major and inner roads in Bulacan as part of the manhunt operation launched against groups of carjack suspects now being looked at as behind the spate of killings of car dealers in Central Luzon and to help deter possible next cases of carjack incidents.
Senior Supt. Fernando Villanueva, Bulacan police director said quite a number of police forces have been deployed along key areas in the Mac-Arthur highway, Maharlika Highway and even along the outskirt and inner roads in the province since after the series of murder whose bodies of dead victims were recovered in nearby province in Central Luzon last week and early this week.
Villanueva disclosed a carjack incident happened that in this town last Jan. 12 where the victim, identified as Monica Atienza of Barangay Sto. Nino had been taken of her colored gray Isuzu Altera with plate number ZHH-889 by four armed men.
PO3 Nino Yang, chief investigator at the Hagonoy police said four men came to the house of Atienza at about 1 pm and requested to drive test the vehicle.
Yang said Monica with her two young children, a boy and a girl ages 6 and 7 years old respectively and her more than 60 years old aunt went with the four men in drive test the said Isuzu Altera.
But, at around 4pm when they have yet to return home, Atienza’s sister identified as Ana Maria Santos, 34 from Barangay Sta. Monica already came to the town’s police station and reported the supposed ill car deal.
At about 7pm however, the police received a call from Santos informing them that her sister with her three companions were all alive and were dumped by the four men somewhere in a remoter grassy area in Victoria, Tarlac.
Atienza, Yang said told them the four men on board unknown service car tied her and her companions hands with packing tapes and their face and bodies have been covered by blanket to avoid familiarizing with the suspects before they were dumped in the said area and took away her being sold Altera vehicle.
The four managed to rode a tricycle where the driver kept them for safety at an Iglesia ni Cristo chapel near the area where the nervous victim managed to grab her cell phone and inform her sister of what happened.
Yang said Atienza posted her for sale vehicle in the internet where the carjack group possible have known she is selling the car.
Yang said according to PO2 Willie Tadeo, Hagonoy police who is investigating the case said Atienza and her children and aunt could not recall the faces of the carjack group who dealt with them as their faces and bodies have been covered.
Yang said the four victims remain in shock and trauma following the incident.
Because of the incident, Chief Supt. Allan Purisima relieved Supt. Albert Nocon, them chief of police of this town. He was replaced by Supt. Aurelio Ducay, according to Villanueva.
Villanueva said the call of the PNP to car dealers selling their vehicles in the internet is not to become too trusting to the supposed buyers and not to allow to drive test their vehicle with them or with out them because the vehicle can be taken away and carjack with them included.