NEW Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) director, Brigadier General Raul L. Bargamento yesterday said the noble action of his predecessor, Brig. Gen. Clifford B. Gairanod won’t be in vain as they continue to move forward and be true to their commitment as ‘Guardians of the Highways.’

A member of PNP Academy ‘Tagapagkalinga’ Class of 1991, Bargamento was the PNP Deputy Director for Plans until he suddenly was named as PNP-HPG director vice Gairanod who resigned from his post after a viral video showed his son hitting a new graduate of the PNP Executive Motorcycle Riding Course in what has found to be a Rider’s Badge pinning ceremony which went awry.

“Basically, I’m on a mission to put the PNP-HPG to its rightful pedestal after the incident that became viral. The actions of the former director Brig. Gen. Gairanod was very noble and honest, his sacrifice should not be in vain,” said the official.

“Indeed HPG was down during those times but it is not how many times you fall that counts, but it is how many times you rise up on the occasion and be better rather than good. Thus, the PNP-HPG will continue to move on, move forward to better serve the Filipino nation through its mandate of keeping our highways safe and secured. There is only one way of moving forward to be better rather than good. That will be the goal of the PNP-HPG as we move along,” Brig. Gen. Bargamento told the Journal Group.

Bargamento is a known specialist in risk management and intelligence who is one of the few PNP generals who studied at the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Academy in Virgina, USA in 2002.

He used to be deputy director for operations of the PNP Aviation Security Group and deputy regional director for administration of the Police Regional Office 5 in Bicol region before being transferred to the PNP-DPL.

During his younger years, Bargamento also became a head of the San Pablo City Police Station in Laguna and was once a member of the PNP contingent to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

After graduation from PNPA, he was assigned to Region 9 in Western Mindanao region where he got his ‘baptism of fire.’

Brig. Gen. Bargamento found himself heading the PNP-HPG barely two months before his retirement from the police force this coming June 23 and after Brig. Gen. Gairanod resigned.

Gairanod, a member of PNPA ‘Tagapaglunsad’ Class of 1993, resigned to pave the way for an impartial investigation of the incident which saw his son, Captain Clifton Gairanod hitting an underclassman-turned HPG Executive Motorcycle Riding Course graduate during a Rider’s Badge pinning ceremony in Sariaya, Quezon.

The former PNP-HPG director also ordered the relief and investigation of his son and members of the HPG training team in the wake of the viral video.

“It pains me in the heart, I relieved my son and had him investigated together with our other training team,” Brig. Gen. Gairanod said.

Prior to that incident, PNP chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. has commended Brig. Gen. Gairanod and his men for a job well done in fighting criminality and at the same time keeping the country’s major thoroughfares safe, true to their name ‘Guardians of the Highways.’

The top cop particularly mentioned the string of accomplishments made by the PNP-HPG as men of the unit went on heightened alert to help ensure the safety and security of the general public during the Holy Week and the rest of the summer period.

Last March 28, members of the HPG Regional Highway Patrol Unit 8 arrested three men who yielded a stolen car and shabu worth P7 million in Barangay Jubasan in Allen, Northern Samar.

Suspects Jabbar Azis, Aminollah Mohammad and Amenodeh Mamao were stopped for using a stolen motor vehicle. During a routine inspection, the suspects yielded 10 plastic packets containing a kilo of the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ valued at P7 million.

All three suspects are now being held at the Allen Municipal Police Station and facing criminal charges for illegal possession of prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and violation of the anti-carnapping act.

On the same day, operatives of the Capiz Provincial Highway Patrol Team arrested Ringo Arbolado, a resident of Bgy. Lawaan in Roxas City for possession of illegal drugs and a loaded gun.

The motorcycle-riding suspect was initially flagged down for over-speeding, not wearing a crash helmet and for not having a side mirror on his motorbike.

While being questioned, the suspect appeared to be very uneasy. The suspect was found carrying a loaded caliber .357 Magnum revolver with eight live ammunition, eight heat-sealed plastic sachets containing shabu and several drug paraphernalia.

The pieces of evidence were discovered inside the suspect’s sling bag.

RHPU6 officers brought the suspect to the Roxas City Police Station for further investigation and filing of criminal charges for violation of RA 9165 and RA 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013.

The PNP-HPG has also partnered with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission led by its Executive Director, retired Police Major Gen. Gilbert DC Cruz in arresting a number of people facing charges for violation of RA 10883 or the New Anti-Carnapping Law of 2016 .

Two of those arrested as a result of the PAOCC-PNP-HPG Coplan: Ares NCR-Canare were Rhofe Ramos Canare and his wife Jenween Gonzales, both wanted for the carnapping and disposal of at least eight motor vehicles, six of which have already been recovered by the HPG and returned to their rightful owners.

The two were caught near Casino YBC along Rizal Avenue Extension corner 5th Street, Magsaysay, Olongapo City last month. A record check showed that Rhofe was first arrested in an entrapment operation inside a restaurant in AliMall, Cubao, Quezon City last February 9 for violation of RA 10883, estafa and robbery-extortion.

However, he managed to post bail on February 17 and was released from the HPG National Capital Region Highway Patrol Unit lock-up facility.

Members of the RHPU1 also arrested Rengie Gulayda alias ‘Phjay Gulayda’ for violation of RA 10883. Gulayda, wanted for stealing a parked motorcycle in his workplace on September 13, 2021 before assuming his younger brother’s name to work in Manila, is a target of the PAOCC-supported HPG Coplan: Ares 11Bantilyan.

The suspect who has been tagged as the most wanted car theft personality in Ilocos-Pangasinan region was tracked down in his hiding place in Bgy. Palatiw in Pasig City by a team of PNP-HPG agents led by Major Carlo Loñosa and Maj. Edgardo Santiago.

Last February 1, another PAOCC-PNP-HPG operation codenamed Coplan: Ares 10 Momo in Bgy. Sangi in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu led to the arrest of Nelson Momo. The suspect is wanted for stealing a vehicle on September 5, 2020 before selling it to other persons.

Momo has been described as a member of a syndicate involved in the so-called ‘Rent-Tangay/Assume-Balance’ scheme to steal vehicles in the country.

The two unit’s Coplan: Ares 1 Agustin last February 28 likewise resulted in the arrest of Mark Anthony Agustin, a man accused of forcibly stealing a motorcycle from its owner Christian Yadao on July 30, 2018. The suspect was arrested in Bgy. Boquig in Bantay, Ilocos Sur by members of the Ilocos Sur Provincial Highway Patrol Team and the Bantay Municipal Police Station.

Gen. Azurin lauded the PNP-HPG for its swift action in apprehending violators of the law.

“The commitment of PNP HPG in keeping our national highways safe and secure not only benefits all motorists and road users but also significantly helps in the PNP’s goal of keeping our communities protected from the evils of illegal drugs. I am proud of HPG’s dedication and hard work in fulfilling our mandate to uphold the rule of law and ensure the safety of our people,” the top cop said.