DAVAO CITY, (PNA) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) already released at least six vehicles which were among those seized by authorities in their operations against Baktin Carnapping Group last year.
HPG 11 regional director Sr. Supt. Gregorio Pimentel said there were 26 vehicles in their custody impounded by virtue of court orders and six of them were already released.
“The release were covered by court orders and the owners were able to prove their ownership of the vehicles,” Pimentel said.
The vehicles impounded by the HPG 11 were subjects of carnapping charges lodged against Baktin Gang leader Ryan Yu and four others pending before Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 16 under Judge Emmanuel Carpio.
Based on the rules, Pimentel said seized motor vehicles will be impounded only for three months after which would be subjected to auction should there be no claimants of these vehicles.
But in Baktin’s case, though the vehicles were already impounded for more than three months, these could not be subjected for auction due to the court case.
Pimentel was just worried on the condition of the impounded vehicles considering that aside from the limited space, flood also hit the area.
The vehicles were seized in a series of anti-carnapping operations conducted by the HPG XI along with operatives from the Davao City Police Office last year.
The group’s leader Ryan Yu has recently surrendered and posted P1.4-million bail in a Regional Trial Court in Surigao del Sur.
In a letter received by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 16, Atty. Eleazar Peña, acting clerk of court of RTC Branch 27 in Surigao del Sur, informed the court here that Yu, who is standing trial for eight counts of carnapping charges, has already paid a total of P1,440,000 million cash bond on September 11, 2013.
Also enclosed in the letter was a court order handed down by RTC Branch 27 Presiding Judge Edwin Malazarte approving the bond and granting temporary liberty to Yu.
“Unless detained for some other cause, the Warden or peace officer concerned is directed to cause the release of the accused during the pendency of this case. Accused Ryan Yap Yu’s release from detention is subject to their written undertaking executed pursuant to Rule 114, Section 2 of the Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure,” Judge Malazarte said in a one-page order dated September 11, 2013.
Yu, a resident of Mabua, Tandag, Surigao del Sur, is standing trial for eight counts of carnapping charges before RTC Branch 16 under Judge Emmanuel Carpio, and has been a subject of manhunt following the issuance of warrants for his arrest on April 5, 2013.
The illegal activities of Baktin carnapping group was busted following the series of anti-carnapping operations launched by the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) led by Sr. Supt. Ronald dela Rosa.