Two rent-a-car owners in Isabela implicate 30-yr.-old woman in Kalinga for “rent-sangla” modus

Tabuk City, Kalinga - Two rent-a-car owners from Cauayan, Isabela accused a 30-year-old woman from Kalinga of “rent-sangla” scheme after the woman rented a total of six vehicles but later allegedly pawned and even re-rented them to other people in Tabuk City, Kalinga. 

Based on the accounts of Highway Patrol Group --Kalinga (HPG-Kalinga), the possible case of “rent-sangla” scheme involving the woman from Kalinga got their attention on Tuesday, August 19, after HPG-Isabela coordinated with them informing of a case.

According to the owners, they saw an alarming post on their rent-a-car Facebook group on the said day, warning against the 30-year-old identified as alias “Mary” and her fraudulent “rent-sangla” scheme, which prompted them to contact her, but there was no answer to their calls and messages. They then immediately sought the help of the  HPG.

In an interview with Guru Press Cordillera this August 20, HPG-Kalinga Chief, Police Captain Jordan Bongat said the victims came to their office on August 19 to report the matter to them and asked for assistance for the retrieval of the vehicles. 

“Dagitoy duwa nga kinbagi ti rent a car ditoy Isabela, inmay da ditoy nga nagpatulong, kayat da nga alaen diay luglugan da nga nirentehan ni “rent-sangla woman” ta despite ti text and tawag da ket haan na nga sagsaguten. Kayat da nga alaen dagidiay lugan da ta ada nabasa da nga nag-post nga alarming kunana nga “mag-ingat kayo sa taong ito” na binenbenta daw o di kaya sinasangla yong mga nirerentahan niya. So, di nabasa, diay page ti rental nga kasla met lang daytoy “kalinga page,” ket na-alarm da ta isu metten diay napan nag-rent kanyada, sunga kayat dan nga alaen,” Bongat narrated. 

Bongat said they immediately carried out tracking operations. By the evening, they had already retrieved four out of the six vehicles as those who were in possession of the vehicles cooperated with them, making the retrieval faster. 

“In track mi dagidiay vehicles di kalman (August 19). Di rabii, 4 ti na-retrieve mi diay 6 nga lugan. Mayat met iman ta naki-cooperate dagidiay naalaan mi. Ti advice pay daytoy accused tayo ket haan da kanu it-ited diay lugan tapos haan yo ibaga nga insanglak, ibaga yo nga paparentaak,”he added. 

In their initial findings, Bongat said that Mary either pawned the cars to other people or re-rented them at higher prices. 

The HPG officer described the act as indeed alarming since most of Mary's transactions leaned toward pawning, which placed the victims at risk of completely losing their vehicles. 

As of this writing, authorities are still waiting for the victims to press formal charges so that a warrant of arrest can be issued against the accused.

Bongat said he urged the victims to proceed with the filing in order to prevent similar incidents from happening again, to which the two responded positively and assured they will prepare the needed documents. Bongat also expressed hope that the accused would come forward and explain her side to those she had defrauded.