City cops hunt down car fuel pilferers

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) has alerted its troops against fuel pilferers lurking in the metropolis.

Colonel Uldarico Garbanzos, Iloilo City police chief, said they received reports of car owners claiming that their vehicles’ fuel was siphoned off. Worse, the suspects also slit the fuel tank’s hose.

But based on ICPO records, only one person had officially made a report of the incident.

The incident became public after Facebook user Markuz Mark Anthony narrated that fuel from their car was siphoned while it was parked at the Smallville area on Oct 10, 2021.

He claimed that his child went to join an aunt for coffee at the Smallville area around 6 p.m. and left by 9 p.m.

When his child turned on the engine, the fuel dashboard icon signaled an empty fuel gas tank.

The driver drove until the car stopped running at Atria District in Mandurriao.

Another motorist stopped by and asked what happened.

When the motorist checked, it was learned that the hose of the gas tank was cut.

Upon checking with the nearby establishments’ CCTV, it was learned that a person was seen lurking around the vehicle’s fuel tank using his mobile phone’s flashlight. It happened between 8:50 and 8:55 p.m.

Another female motorist, who goes by Facebook name Keeny Praise Celeste, said that she was on her way home when her fuel meter was blinking red.

She claimed she grew suspicious since she parked her vehicle at DB Ledesma Street, Jaro, beside the hospital vicinity where it is believed she is working.

She drove to the nearest gasoline station to refuel.

But the attendant claimed that there was leakage in the vehicle’s fuel hose. When they checked, the house was also slashed

Garbanzos said that after they received reports on the first incident, he immediately called the attention of the chiefs of police to be wary of the new modus operandi of fuel thieves

Investigation showed that it was not the first time such an incident happened, but previous victims did not report to the police.

The other two incidents, Garbanzos said, happened at the car park near Medicus Hospital and Qualimed Hospital in Mandurriao district.

But another Facebook user claimed that a similar incident also happened at the car park of the Metro Iloilo Hospital and Medical Center in Jaro district.

The user claimed that the suspects apparently eyed pick-up trucks since their fuel hose are more exposed and could easily be taken out.

So far, Garbanzos said they have no idea who are behind these activities.

“I have instructed our chiefs of police to talk to security guards of establishments to watch out for this kind of activity,” he said.

Garbanzos said they have also intensified checkpoint operations and checked motorists carrying containers fit to be filled with petroleum.

He also asked motorists to park their vehicles in well-lit areas.