Cop in Archival slay sued for car theft

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday filed a criminal charge against a policeman and a confidential agent of the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) for allegedly selling a recovered vehicle to a businessman from Iligan City.

In his complaint, Reynaldo Tan said he was surfing the Internet when he stumbled upon an offer posted on a buy-and-sell Web site for a Toyota Revo.

The AUV was being sold by a certain Mario Real Saycon, who claimed to be an HPG official. Tan called Saycon and arranged a meeting where they concluded the sale for P260,000.

Tan told the NBI that Saycon used the name of SPO4 Edwin Galan, who was later found to be detailed at HPG-7, to prove that he is an official of the police unit.

Believing that the person he was dealing with was a person in authority, Tan immediately closed the deal with Saycon.

Right Person

“In my mind, this guy is the right person to (deal with). (I believe) he has clean car documents without lien and encumbrances,” the complainant said.

Galan and Saycon were charged before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office yesterday for car theft.
Galan is among the HPG officers facing charges of multiple and frustrated murder in relation to the ambush-slaying of lawyer Noel Archival in Dalaguete town, Cebu last February 18.

Tan sought the help of the NBI after his Toyota Revo was confiscated by another HPG unit in Iligan City last June for purportedly being a “carnapped vehicle.”

Based on the records of the HPG, the Revo was stolen in Quezon City in 2002.

The vehicle is now under the custody of the HPG in Iligan City.

Related Stories:

‘No personal agenda in filing case against 5 cops in Archival slay’ 

NBI finds red car used by Archival’s killers parked in compound of Highway Patrol Group 

Archival ambush-slay ‘almost solved’ — NBI