By Emmanuel T. Erediano
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
TWO rent-a-car companies on Saipan are losing business and struggling to serve tourists due to theft incidents and the poor condition of roads.
Over the last several weeks, Gil Rent A Car has faced disruptions caused by missing vehicles and stolen car keys, while QQ Car Rental has been unable to lease some vehicles because of engine damage and worn rims and tires.
Theft incidents
Gil Rent A Car owner In Bog Oh said he lost five vehicles, tools, and the keys to his remaining cars in two theft incidents. QQ Car Rental’s owner, who requested anonymity, said he is dealing with repair costs after some customers accidentally drove rented vehicles over a heavily deteriorated portion of the road leading to Bird Island in Marpi.
Bog Oh, 57, reported the first theft to the Department of Public Safety at his Koblerville branch, which occurred between the night of Dec. 29, 2025, and the early morning of Dec. 30. He told Police Officer 1 Antonio Castro that when he arrived around 7:30 a.m. on Dec. 30, the shop door was wide open, and a crowbar was on the floor. Four cars, keys to eight other vehicles, and several tools, including a battery tester, were missing.
He told investigators he had closed the shop at 10 p.m. the previous night.
On Jan. 26, 2026, Bog Oh’s employee Seung Gi Bee reported that the company’s main shop in Garapan had been burglarized. She told Police Officer 1 Maridel Camacho that when she returned around 4 p.m., both the main door and screen doors were open. She said she had locked all doors when she left around 2:30 p.m.
Bee reported that the office was in disarray, with drawers open and keys to eight cars missing, along with tools and another vehicle.
Bog Oh said he believes the same suspect was responsible for both burglaries. According to police reports, the suspect remains “unknown,” though Bog Oh told Variety he knew the individual. He said the suspect had been arrested after the December theft but was released hours later. The second theft occurred about two weeks after the suspect’s release, he said.
Two of the stolen vehicles were found in front of Joeten Store in Kagman, another at a house near a hill in Tanapag, and a fourth in front of a poker arcade on Alaihai Street in Garapan. The vehicles are currently in DPS custody.
Bog Oh said his biggest concern is that all the keys to his vehicles remain with the suspect, who has not been re-arrested. He added that DPS has told him the recovered vehicles cannot be released while the case is under investigation.
“My business continues to suffer while the person who stole my cars remains free,” he said. “I hope DPS will at least release my vehicles so I can continue to earn a living.”
Variety reached out to DPS, where public information officer Fred Sato said he would advise Bog Oh to follow up with the property crime division of the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Bad roads
The QQ Car Rental owner said he is struggling to serve customers because many of his vehicles are out of service due to road damage near Bird Island in Marpi.
“Of course, tourists are new to the island, so while driving, the scenery often catches their attention,” he said. “The broken portion of the road was right in the middle. No one except local residents familiar with the area would notice it.”
He added that other car rental companies on Saipan have faced similar problems for the past two years. To mitigate risks, owners placed a “Drive Safely” sign at Banzai Cliff, but it was recently vandalized.
Just four days ago, one of his customers drove over the rocky section, causing major engine damage. Bad roads have also damaged rims and tires in previous cases. The cost to replace an engine is around $5,000, while new rims cost more than $800. Under rental agreements, customers must pay for damages, with rims costing $300 and tires $100.
For engine repairs, the rental owner said he can only recover a small portion of the cost from the customer.
“We cannot continue to do business like this,” he said. “It’s unfortunate because tourists want to tour the island. If we cannot provide vehicles, they might just stay in their hotels and miss other destinations.”
Emergency repair
Department of Public Works Secretary Ray N. Yumul said staff and equipment would be sent to make emergency repairs to the road while engineers finalize plans for permanent restoration.
“I’m going to send equipment to make an emergency repair of that road section in the short term while engineers finish plans for a permanent repair job,” Yumul said. Emergency repairs will also include placing road warning signs.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
