PNP waiting for Aquino's order on vehicle clearance in ports

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) is waiting for the order of President Aquino to fully implement the vehicle clearance at the port, which is aimed to boost the anti-carjacking drive of the government.

President Aquino agreed in principle to require clearances of all vehicles being shipped from Metro Manila to Visayas and Mindanao after the PNP-Highway Patrol Group (HPG) found out that many stolen cars and other types of vehicles were sold to unsuspecting buyers in the provinces.

HPG spokesman Superintendent Edwin Butacan said HPG operatives need a written authority to impose clearances on shipment of vehicles.

“Although the President has approved the measure in principle, our men need an EO (executive order) to be able to fully implement it,” Butacan told The STAR.

Butacan said requiring clearances from all shipments has been proven effective in stopping carjack syndicates from shipping stolen vehicles to the provinces.

He recalled that last November, the HPG recovered in Visayas a total of 55 vehicles stolen from the National Capital Region (NCR).

“Carnapping syndicates stole the vehicles in Metro Manila and freely shipped them to Visayas and Mindanao, there they can easily get buyers far from the (monitoring) eyes of the HPG,” Butacan said.

He explained that authorities used to impose clearances at the ports but some enforcers abused and made money out of the process.

Butacan noted that safety nets have been added to the port clearances program to prevent any more abuses and ensure the measure will be effective in the campaign against carjacking.