‘Motornapper’ may get 40 years; no bail under new carnapping law

By Nelson Bolos

CABANATUAN CITY -- Carnappers will now think twice before stealing a vehicle.

This came as the police here charged an arrested “carnapper” under the “New Anti Carnapping Law of 2016”, otherwise known as Republic Act 10883.

The new law, which  repealed RA 6539 (Anti Carnapping Act of 1972), took effect only last July 17.

In an earlier news, Supt Ponciano Zafra announced the arrest of Paulo Ramos Anasco, 26, of Barangay Camp Tinio, who was apprehended while selling a stolen Kawasaki Bajaj motorcycle to a policeman along Felipe Vergara Road, Barangay Talipapa, this City last Nov. 6.

Anasco,  along with his two companions who eluded arrest but left behind another stolen motorcycle, were charged of RA 10883 before the City Prosecutors Office.

           The motorcycle turned out to be owned by Antonio Martinez whose tricycle was carnapped  near the city’s public market. 

In his own complaint, Martinez positively identified Anasco and his companions who took his tricycle last August 25.

“Under the new (anti-carnapping) law, a carnapper may be imprisoned for 30 to 40 years if there was intimidation or force, and if it was committed by a group or gang or syndicate, they will not be allowed to post bail”, Zafra said.

The law also penalizes for 6 to 12 years imprisonment to a “person who conceals a carnapping” which means a person can be liable for carnapping if a carnapped vehicle or any part of it is found in his possession.

“A motor vehicle, motor vehicle engine, engine block or chassis not registered with the LTO shall be presumed as a carnapped vehicle, an untaxed imported vehicle, or a vehicle proceeding from illegal sources unless proven otherwise and shall be confiscated in favor of the government”, also says Section 8 of the 2016 anti-carnapping law.

“Given the very stiff penalties, this law, once properly disseminated, will be a good deterrent for carnapping. We hope the dissemination of this law will totally stop motornapping,” said Zafra.