How ‘benta-bawi’ modus works for car thieves

How does the modern car theft scheme known as ‘rent-tangay’ and ‘benta-bawi’ work?

According to Marisol Abdurahman’s report on “24 Oras” on Wednesday, district director of Quezon City Police District Brigadier General Remus Medina said that under these new modus operandi, suspects use their wit to steal a vehicle from its owner without even pointing a gun to intimidate their victims.

“Magrerenta ng sasakyan. Matapos rentahan, hindi ibabalik. Pagtapos hindi ibalik, ibebenta. Pagkatapos ibenta, kukunin ulit at nakakawin,” Medina said.

(They will rent the vehicle. After renting it, they would not return it. After not returning it, they would sell it. After selling, they will steal it again.)

Authorities arrested suspects Ernesto Reyes and Kyle Novida. They were riding a ‘rent-tangay’ car when policemen intercepted them along Araneta Avenue for a traffic violation.

“Wala siyang lisensya [Reyes], wala siyang maipakitang papel sa sasakyan. Rented niya din yung sasakyan… tatangayin na naman niya ang sasakyan na yun,” Medina stated.

(He doesn’t have a license [Reyes], he cannot show papers of the vehicle. He also rented the car… he will steal that car again.)

When authorities verified Reyes’ record, it was found that he had a standing warrant of arrest due to an estafa case.

Benta-bawi

Under ‘benta-bawi’ scheme, Police Lieutenant Colonel Jun Lorenzo, chief of the district carnapping unit of QCPD, said the suspects will sell the vehicle but will later take it back from the buyer to secretly install a Global Positioning Satellite or GPS tracker system.

The suspects, Lorenzo added, will then sell it to another person and make a spare key after tracking the vehicle.

“After po ng rentangay modus nila, i-cut na nila yung existing GPS ng sasakyan. Then after noon, bibili na sila ng bagong GPS at ikakabit nila sa same na sasakyan at nagpapagawa rin sila ng additional na susi para after few months ng sale ay mabawi rin nila ito through carnapping na rin,” he said.

(After their rent-tangay modus, they will cut the vehicle’s existing GPS. Then after that, they will buy a new GPS and they will install it on the same vehicle and they will also make an additional key so that after a few months of sale they will also recover it through carnapping.)

Recovered vehicles

One of the vehicles recovered by the authorities was the van of Glen Martin Lubong from Mandaluyong.

Lubong said the suspects rented his van for three days for P15,000 on June 15. However, they could no longer trace the vehicle the next day.

“Tinawagan namin, hindi siya (Reyes) sumasagot. Doon palang po sa GPS, kapag nakita niyo nang power-cut, yun na po iyon, kinalikot na talaga sa loob,” he said.

(We called Reyes but he did not answer. You can see it in the GPS, the power was cut, you know they're tampering it.)

Mark Angelo Salvadora’s motorcycle, which the suspects forcibly took from him, was also recovered.

“Kina-cut na po ang harapan ko tapos sapilitang kinuha ang susi. Nang ayaw kong ibigay ang susi, tinadyakan ang motor at saka bumunot ng baril at nag-warning shot,” Salvadora said.

(He cut me and then took my key. When I refused to hand over the key, he kicked my motorcycle and pulled out a gun and fired a warning shot.)

Authorities similarly recovered Charles Go’s SUV which Reyes rented for a month and then sold.

Go said he was suspicious when Reyes could no longer be contacted. He tracked the vehicle via GPS but could not recover it because the license plate was different.

“Continuous yung payment niya eh,” he added.

(His payment was continuous.)

Criminal charge filed

Reyes did not deny the allegations against him, “Yung kasama ko po talaga ang nag-gaganon. Sinama lang po ako. Ako po ang pina-arkila niya po... labas na po ako doon, yung rent lang po talaga nakapokus ako.”

(My companion was committing the crime. I was just tagged along. I’m the one  renting the vehicles... I'm already out there, I'm really focused on the rent.)

For his part, Novida said, “Lahat po ng details ko siya po ang gumamit pero wala po akong kaalam-alam.”

(He used all my details but I don't know anything.)

Another suspect, Jong Ritao, was also arrested by the QCPD.

Authorities have already filed a criminal case against the suspects.—Mel Matthew Doctor/LDF, GMA News