Cotabato councilor asks NBI to probe ‘car scam’

COTABATO CITY – A city councilor here is asking the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate an alleged “rent-a-car” scam that has victimized some 300 car owners here and nearby provinces.

In a resolution filed Friday, Councilor Bruce Matabalao called on the NBI to look into the alleged car rental scam that has reportedly victimized locals, including police and military officers.

Among the alleged victims, Matabalao said, were prominent families who allowed their cars to be rented by the woman-broker involved in the scheme.

“I decided to let the NBI do the investigation since they have competence and expertise to do the job,” Matabalao said, as she called on the public to be vigilant in joining the bandwagon of dubious investments such as car rentals.

Matabalao said when the “return of investment” is too good to be true, then more likely the business is a scam.

The councilor said the victims will have the rent-a-car scheme broker named once cases are filed against her.

Lt. Col. Markton Abo, chief of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) civil-military operations office, said many soldiers under their unit have been recipients of brand new cars brokered by the woman he refused to identify.

Under the scheme, sources said the broker would rent the vehicle from the owner for PHP45,000 and "pawn" these to her wealthy clients for PHP50,000 a month.

The scheme went on smoothly for a few months but later, sources said owners discovered that the broker had been “missing” and they were no longer able to receive their monthly rental fees.

Abo said that among 6th ID officials and enlisted men alone, the unnamed broker has lent over 100 vehicles.

One of the owners who asked not to be named said he and other car owners met Friday and agreed to file a class suit against the broker, who manages Lahdin’s Trucking and Marketing Services.

Efforts to get the side of Lahdin firm failed as its officials could not be found or contacted by phone. (PNA)

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http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1049520
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