Cellphone Snatching: A Crime Supported by the Community

Drugs and Crimes

In the crime index of the Philippine National Police, the highest is snatching particularly cellphone. This is common to all urban settings in the country. President Ferdinand Marcos during the Martial Law Years enacted Presidential Decree 1612 otherwise known as the “Anti-Fencing Law of 1979”. The purpose of the law is to stop or deter rampant robbery and thievery of government and private properties.

The thievery and robbery have become profitable on the part of the lawless elements because of the existence of ready buyers, commonly known as fence, of stolen properties.

Decades after passage of the law the situation still exists, however it has somehow focused on cellphone snatching. Cellular phone has become the common commodity in our streets for snatching and sold, in exchange for money and at times shabu.

The Anti-Fencing Law penalizes anyone who buys stolen articles or goods, yet the people have become aggressive and tolerant of the crime, the very reason why snatching cellular phones continue is because the very populace supposedly envisioned to be protected, by the law are the very people who buy stolen cellphones.

The populace complains of cellphone snatching, the crime has become complicated as oftentimes crime against persons are committed such as stabbing or murder of the snatching victims. Yet, we the people, are the ready customers and buyers of the snatched cellphones. The reason why cellphone snatching continues is because we the people continue to support the crime by buying the snatched cellphones.

Under P.D. 1612 it mandates that the Integrated National Police now the Philippine National Police to regulate the selling of second hand articles by requiring the stores or establishments to secure permits and licenses. This has become unaddressed, our police are only checking after junkyards yet they are not inspecting establishments who well known buyers of stolen items. In Cebu City, there are identified fenced stores, one in Labangon and another in Pardo. These stores are the ready buyers of stolen items by drug users. The stolen items aside from cellphones, ranges from gas ranges, gas tanks, oven toasters, shoes, microwave ovens or anything of value as long as money could be paid so they could buy drugs.

This is happening not only in Cebu City but also in Talisay, Mandaue and Lapulapu City. When President Marcos enacted P.D. 1612 he also appended or attached in the law the Implementing Rules and Regulations for the PNP to effectively implement the law. It is just so sad that two PNP National Chief whom I have spoken personally and gave copies of the IRR so that they could disseminate and require their police chiefs to follow have ignored my plea.

Since, we could not all be police chiefs or DILG Secretaries let us win the war against street cellphone snatching by campaigning among us never to buy or sell stolen cellphones. These snatchers are not cellphone collectors, as they snatch cellphones for the reason that they will sell these so they could buy drugs. If nobody buys then these snatching will stop.

My question, why cannot the Mayors close or go after these fence stores of buyers of stolen cellphones? Another question, is your cellphone, the one you are using now the fruit of snatching?

About the Author: Clarence Paul V. Oaminal is a lawyer and author of ‘The Textbook on The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002’. He is the Vice-chairman and Undersecretary of the Dangerous Drugs Board and is the current adviser and presiding officer of Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council. He also hosts the local advocacy program ‘Krimen ug Drugas’ in CCTN Channel 47.