Disposal of Unclaimed Recovered and Impounded Carnapped Motor Vehicles

March 23, 1984

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1911

AUTHORIZING THE DISPOSAL OF UNCLAIMED RECOVERED AND IMPOUNDED CARNAPPED MOTOR VEHICLES AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED SIX THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED THIRTY-NINE OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE ANTI-CARNAPPING ACT OF 1972

WHEREAS, as a result of the government's unrelenting campaign against carnapping, several carnapped or stolen motor vehicles have been recovered by the different law enforcement agencies of the government;

WHEREAS, some of these motor vehicles which are now impounded in the different impounding centers of the Philippine Constabulary/Integrated National Police have remained impounded and unclaimed for a length of time due to the absence of any claimant thereof; cdt

WHEREAS, the identification of these motor vehicles for the purpose of determining ownership thereof have become difficult, if not impossible, considering that the original numbers of the tampered engine and chasis numbers could no longer be determined and restored;

WHEREAS, the maintenance of such impounded and abandoned vehicles is causing unnecessary expenses to the government, aside from the manpower involved in maintaining these motor vehicles, which could otherwise be channeled to and utilized for other purposes;

WHEREAS, these impounded and unclaimed motor vehicles whose value run to millions of pesos, while thus remaining unclaimed, will progressively deteriorate and will ultimately become totally useless, thus constituting economic wastage which should be avoided at all cost. Hence, it is imperative that said vehicles be appropriately and economically disposed of;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree:

 Two new sections are hereby inserted between Section 12 and 13 of Republic Act No. 6539 to be denominated as Section 12-A and Section 12-B which shall read as follows: cd

SEC. 12-A. All carnapped or stolen motor vehicle, recovered and impound by law enforcement agencies which after a period of three (3) months from the date of its seizure/recovery have remained unclaimed or whose real owners could no longer be determined or established because the original numbers of the motor engine or chasis numbers could no longer be determined and restored, are considered as abandoned motor vehicles and shall be sold and disposed of by the Chief of Constabulary of his authorized representative in a public auction; Provided, That, in all cases before any public auction is effected, there shall be published once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines or in the place where it was recovered or found, a description of the motor vehicles intended to be auctioned with a notice that after the lapse of one month from the date of the last publication, should no person file a claim for the recovery of the same, said motor vehicles will be sold at public auction; Provided, Finally that the date and place of the public auction to be conducted by the Chief of Constabulary or his authorized representative shall already be fixed in the last publication aforementioned.

SEC. 12-B. After the public auction, the proceeds shall be applied to answer for charges including storage and cost of publication and related expenses incurred in connection therewith; Provided, That, the remainder, if any, shall be retained by the Philippine Constabulary/Integrated National Police to be used for the operational expenses of the Anti-Carnapping Task Force or any such unit as may hereinafter be created for a similar purpose for which the Anti-Carnapping Task Force was created.

SECTION 2. The Chief of Constabulary shall promulgate rules and regulations implemental of this decree, subject to the approval of the President upon recommendation of the Minister of National Defense.

SECTION 3. All laws, decrees, letter of instructions, orders, rules and regulations or any part thereof which are in conflict with the provision of this Decree are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 4. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 23rd day of March, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Four.

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 80 No. 21 Page 3036 on May 21, 1984.