NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director, Brigadier General Jonnel C. Estomo on Sunday said there is no truth to wild rumors that occupants of a ‘white van’ are roaming around Metro Manila to snatch young targets, the false claims even triggering public panic and apprehension.

In fact, he said that a young girl from Caloocan City has confessed that she merely concocted a kidnapping tale involving three men riding such white van and her mother has apologized for the inconvenience for the mess brought about by her daughter’s false claim which went viral on social media.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. said he has ordered the PNP Highway Patrol Group headed by Brig. Gen. Clifford B. Gairanod and the 17 other Police Regional Offices to intensify their crackdown on motor vehicles running in Metro Manila and other parts of the country without plate numbers or are using illegal, unauthorized plates as part of their stepped-up anti-criminality drive.

The top cop said he wants the PNP-HPG and other territorial units to be very strict in checking ‘plateless’ vehicles and those using unauthorized plates, sirens, blinkers and other gadgets amid their effort to fully enforce the traffic code and other pertinent road laws.

Gairanod said they will accost the drivers not only of ‘white vans’ but other motor vehicles without license plates or those using unauthorized or fake plate numbers. They include those using unauthorized commemorative plates or driving with only one license plate.

The PNP-HPG director said they are going hard against these unauthorized motor vehicles and motorcycles to arrest the possibility they may be used in the commission of crimes such as robbery-holdups, kidnappings and gun attacks.

Azurin said he has also ordered Gairanod to intensify their campaign against motor vehicle and motorcycle theft in coordination with the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

The PNP chief called on the public to immediately report to the nearest police station suspected stolen vehicles and those without license plates especially if their occupants appear to be suspicious-looking.

Estomo said they have discovered that the reported kidnapping try on a young girl in Caloocan City which went viral on social media in reality was news fabricated by the complainant.

The official said he ordered a thorough investigation into the purported Caloocan City abduction case with his men partnering with the local government unit and residents in the particular community.

“According to our investigators, the minor victim initially alleged that she overheard the plan of three male persons alighting from a white van that they will tie her up and force her inside the vehicle. Further she said that if not for the help of a passing tricycle and an unidentified bystander, she would have been taken away, “ Estomo said.

However, he said that local policemen who conducted an ocular inspection of the area where the alleged incident took place and interviewed witnesses found out that no such incident really took place.

He added that one resident living around the area signed a written affidavit that she had noticed a gray Toyota Hi-ace parked therein for about five minutes on the date and time mentioned by the victim. However, she did not witness any such kidnapping attempt nor any person alighting from the van.

The tricycle driver mentioned by the victim as the one who helped her retrieve her belongings and brought her home also signed a statement that he did not notice anything unusual with the minor especially signs of anxiety and fear when he first saw her.

Estomo said that with the assistance of social workers from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Caloocan City police requested the alleged victim and her mother to particularly identify the place where the purported abduction try took place. However, the minor kept altering the location after learning that CCTV cameras were installed in the areas they visited.

“Despite the seemingly vague situation, our police officers persisted to dig deeper into this issue for the welfare of the victim and the peace of mind of the community. Later on, it was reported to us that the minor admitted to her mother that no such incident really happened and that she merely made up that kidnapping tale,” Estomo said. No reason was given by the girl on why she came up with such kidnapping tale.

The NCRPO chief said the mother of the child already apologized for the mess and the “kidnapping” scare her daughter brought to the public. She also appealed to the general public especially to the netizens to discern the news they read and watch in social media.

“Hence, we enjoin everyone to be extra vigilant in appreciating news and reports seen and read in various social media platforms to prevent undue and unnecessary anxiety and fear from spreading in our communities. Best of all, shun to jeer at the privilege and be more responsible in using social media more so if it concerns public safety or national security and to think before clicking or face the harsh consequence of breaching the law,” he said.

Estomo maintained that Metro Manila remains generally peaceful and that the NCRPO is on top of the situation as they keep the streets safe 24/7.

“Our police are just around the corner ready to respond to your needs and emergencies. We assure everyone that our streets and villages are safe to walk and live with respectively,” he said.