Las Piñas Police, car dealers ink safety measures vs. carnapping

LAS PINAS City Mayor Vergel Aguilar yesterday lauded the effort of car dealers and the city police force in forging safety measures to further strengthen the campaign against the incidents of carnapping and carjacking in the city.

Aguilar said about 20 car dealers signed the safety measures with the law enforcers following a dialogue presided over by City Police Chief, Senior Superintendent Romulo Emocling Sapitula.

|Earlier, Aguilar has ordered Sapitula to initiate dialogue with local car dealers in the wake of kidnapping, carjacking incidents and the killings of Verson Evangelista and Emerson Lozano. Both were found dead after a supposed car buyer test drive their respective vehicles.

Sapitula, in a report to Aguilar, disclosed  that among the safety measures adopted by the car dealers are to request the prospective  buyer for valid identifications; the name, address and contact number of the prospective buyer should be written in the log book affixing their signature; maximum of  two (2) persons shall be allowed to board the  vehicle  for test drive; road test sticker or printed tarpaulin with markings “LP road test” shall be  attached to the rear portion of the vehicle; route of the road test shall only be within Las Piñas jurisdiction and about one kilometer from the car dealer’s establishment and vice versa; and car dealers must inform TOC hotline whenever conducting road test by the prospective buyer.

Car dealers also agreed to install CCTV at the showroom and office; car lock of all vehicle/car for sale shall be observed; police hotline shall be posted in all car dealers showroom and strategic places; and would immediately inform the police of any suspicious person who poses as buyers.

Aside from the safety measures inked between the police and car dealers, Aguilar also ordered the city police to further heighten their surveillance and monitoring activities to pre-empt any attempt of carnapping incidents and killings. 

“Time and again, I advocate police visibility as necessary measure to protect the citizenry from criminal elements. I also urged the residents to be vigilant for their own safety and security and cooperate with authorities in the upkeep of peace and order,” Aguilar said. (END)