MANILA, Philippines — A female lawmaker has sounded the alarm against carnapping as she called on Congress to declare such crime as non-bailable offense. Malabon City Rep. Josephine Veronique R. Lacson-Noel has agreed to the proposal of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) that carnapping should be declared as non-bailable.
"I understand the frustration of our policemen who give their lives trying to put carnappers in jail, only to find out later that they are out on bail faster than getting them behind bars," she said.
As provided for by the law, those who have found of committing carnapping can post bail ranging from P100,000 to P180,000, which the lawmaker described as petty fines and “peanuts for a crime with high returns.”
“Carnapping is, by nature, a dangerous, threatening crime. I consider it no different from other crimes that physically harm victims and other forms of theft. If we are able to hold suspects for other crimes against persons directly, this crime against property should be non-bailable," Lacson-Noel said.
Charisa Luci, Manila Bulletin
