A 20-year-old man from Antique was arrested ahead of Valentine’s Day after allegedly stealing a motorcycle to visit his girlfriend in another town.
Reports said the suspect, identified only as “Jay,” took a parked motorcycle to travel to Sibalom, about an hour away from his residence in Bugasong.
The motorcycle owner had left the key in the ignition, which allowed Jay to take the vehicle.
The owner said he had stepped away briefly to retrieve something from their office and was shocked to discover that the motorcycle was gone when he returned.
Jay later returned the motorcycle that evening and surrendered to police the following day after meeting his girlfriend.
He is now facing charges for violating the New Anti-Carnapping Act of 2016.
The incident drew attention online, with some Filipinos reacting to the case as Valentine’s Day approaches.
“Patawarin mo na, na in love kasi ‘yung tao eh,” a Facebook user quipped.
“Alam niya sa sarili niyang mali ang ginawa niya at hindi talaga siya gumagawa ng ganon, kaya after niya isoli ang motor, sumuko siya,” another commented.
“Sa ngalan ng pag-ibig (laughing emojis), ipagka-karnap ka..” a different Pinoy commented.
“Nagagawa talaga ng pag-ibig,” another wrote.
The incident occurred ahead of Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love. While not a government-declared holiday, it is widely observed by Filipinos, who are regularly exposed to “love teams” and romantic storylines in pop culture.
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