A TOTAL of 736 officers and men of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) has been deployed nationwide to help protect the public during the start of the summer vacation, the Journal Group learned yesterday.

PNP-HPG director, Brigadier General Eleazar P. Matta said that apart from providing assistance to motorists and the rest of the general public, they will also fully support local police in enforcing the gun ban and traffic rules and regulations nationwide in the aftermath of the deadly road rage shooting incident in Antipolo City.

On orders of PNP chief, General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil, Brig. Gen. Mata said he has mobilized 736 of his men to help protect the public during the start of the summer vacation as part of PNP’s Oplan SUMVAC which aims to provide assistance to motorists and ensure the safety of the people as they traverse thru national highways and other major thoroughfares on their way to the provinces during the summer period.

In his directive, the top cop instructed the PNP-HPG director to also mobilize his men in enforcing the prohibition on the unauthorized carrying of firearms and other deadly weapons amid the road rage incident in Antipolo City which left one man dead and three others wounded.

Alert Antipolo City policemen immediately arrested the fleeing suspect following a hot pursuit operation. Gen. Marbil commended the local policemen who arrested the fleeing suspect and recovered the licensed pistol he used in the shooting.

Gen. Marbil also said the incident showed the importance of checkpoint operations, thus his instruction for the PNP-HPG to fully assist the local police in conducting anti-criminality checkpoints and enforcing the gun ban.

The same security measure be implemented by all 17 regional highway patrol units across the country to help local territorial police forces in enforcing the gun ban and arrest the presence of illegal firearms, private armed groups and other lawless elements that pose a threat to the holding of an orderly and peaceful May 12 National and Local Elections.

PNP-HPG spokesperson, Lieutenant Nadame Malang said that following the PNP chief’s instructions, Brig. Gen. Matta has ordered the deployment of two to four personnel from each of the 86 Provincial Highway Patrol Teams nationwide to help the local police implement the gun ban.

“Gaya ng nabanggit ng chief PNP, ang additional guidelines sa lahat ng ating mamang tsuper at rider kapag dumaan sa ating mga checkpoint, lahat ay sasalain. Titingnan ng ating HPG kung ang mga sasakyan na ito ay may dalang mga kontrabando na ating iniiwasan na madala sa ibang lugar,” the officer explained.

PNP-HPG personnel last month accounted for drugs, illegal guns and even smuggled cigarettes amid their ongoing conduct of anti-carnapping operations where they check vehicles with suspicious license plates or whose drivers are violating traffic laws like non-wearing of seatbelts.

In one case, PNP-HPG agents conducting a ‘spotting operation’ along Tomas Morato Street corner E. Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon City arrested a man whose vehicle yielded an unlicensed gun and suspected shabu and Ecstasy tablets following a brief chase.

The chase started when the man who was driving a car with an improvised license plate ignored signals for him to stop. He was cornered along Scout Reyes corner Scout Delgado St. in Bgy. Paligsahan.

However, just like all other PNP personnel, members of the PNP-HPG are only limited to conduct plain view inspection on vehicles passing through checkpoints.

“Strict pa rin ang HPG, motor man o kotse, talagang kailangan nating i-adhere ang plain view doctrine kung saan ito ay isa sa mga Police Operational Procedures o powers na ibinigay sa atin ng Land Transportation Office. Ginagawa po natin ito para mas lalo pang mapaigting ang seguridad ng ating mga motorista,,” Lt. Malang said.

The PNP-HPG spokesperson explained why motorcycle riders are being asked to open their glove compartments for further inspection.

“Ano ba ang hinahanap kapag tayo ay dumadaan sa checkpoint? Una po diyan, ang ating mga lisensya. Pangalawa, ang ating OR/CR,” he said.

“Sa plain view doctrine, ang ating mga motor kapag dumadaan sa checkpoints ay ang kanilang mga papeles ay nasa compartment, kaya sila ay pinahihinto ng ating mga kasama para makita ang kanilang legal documents at doon nagkakaroon ng pagkakataon na kapag sila ay nagboluntaryo na ibigay ang kanilang papeles through opening their compartments or U-box, doon na nagkakaroon ng additional na plain view doctrine para sa ating mga tropa,” he added.

“It is a need talaga na ipakita ang ating OR/CR para maverify bakasakali ang sasakyan ay may criminal history o napaggamitan pa ng iba pang krimen,” Lt. Malang said.

According to Malang, checkpoint personnel can quickly assess possible violations based on what they see. He said that HPG personnel are trained to spot fake license plates or delinquent vehicle registration papers by merely scrutinizing them.

He also advised motorists passing through checkpoints to cooperate with authorities and bear with the inconvenience they may possibly suffer including some delays.

“Kung wala namang dapat violation, ano’ng dahilan para i-hold ang ating mga kababayan? Ang paalala ng HPG sa ating mga kababayan ay ang kanilang direktang kooperasyon kung sakaling madadaan sila sa mga heckpoints na itinalaga ng ating mga local police along with HPG officers,” he said.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon