The Philippine National Police (PNP) has issued a reminder to the public about various criminal schemes that often occur during Holy Week and vacation period.
In a Palace press briefing on Tuesday, Director for Police Community Relations PMGen. Roderick Alba acknowledged the growing prevalence of individuals involved in 'rent-tangay' schemes and staycation online scams.
He added that PNP Chief PGen. Rommel Francisco Marbil has directed police units to closely monitor these types of cases, particularly with the surge of travelers heading to the provinces.
Alba also advised the public to save the hotline numbers of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) or the nearest police station for immediate assistance in case they fall victim to criminal activities.
"Mas mainam po na we get hold of the hotline numbers, hindi lamang po hotline numbers ng Highway Patrol Group kung saan siya ay nakatutok sa mga kasong ganito, but the entire hotline numbers of different police stations; mababasa naman po ninyo kapag dumadaan ka sa ibang areas and you get a picture of that and you report immediately," said Alba.
"Now, we are actually engaging these groups. Itong mga rent-a-car na businesses to closely coordinate with our police stations and our highway patrol group; binigyan na po ng instruction ng ating Chief PNP iyong HPG na tutukan ang ganitong mga kaso," he added.
Similarly, PNP Public Information Office (PIO) Chief Col. Redruth Tuaño mentioned that the HPG has released informational leaflets on how the public can avoid falling victim to reported cases of technical carnapping.
Meanwhile, aside from “rent-tangay” and technical carnapping schemes, Alba also warned about the rising cases of staycation online scams.
In these scams, the public is enticed by seemingly affordable staycation deals posted on social media, prompting them to pay through online platforms. However, upon arrival at the location, they discover that there are no available bookings.
He advised the public to directly call or verify with the establishment before making any payments for offers seen online.
