PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s youngest son this week became one of the 85 newly inducted certified Riders of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) after completing a tough training which gives them the honor and distinction of being called “Tigers.”

William Vincent Marcos, 25, was among the students who completed the Executive Motorcycle Riding Course (EMRC) of the PNP-HPG which started last October 5 and got their Rider’s Badge during the course’s closing ceremonies held at Camp Crame on Tuesday.

A total of 40 graduates from EMRC Class 02-2022 “Next Gen” and 45 from Class 03-2022 “Maragtas” finished the 16-day program of instructions of the motorcycle-riding course, said PNP-HPG Director Brigadier General Clifford B. Gairanod.

In his speech, PNP Chief General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. underscored the importance of the training course which, he said, is instrumental in strengthening police mobility and making the police officers adequately prepared in responding to incidents and call for police assistance, attuned with the PNP’s renewed focus on mobile patrolling and police presence in the communities.

Azurin, joined by National Police Commission Commissioner Beatrice A. Vega-Cancio, Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs Undersecretary Ariel Caculitan and Gairanod presented the certificate of completion to the new Riders.

Michael Cancio received the certificate on behalf of Class 02-2022 while Colonel Romeo Macapaz, who was adjudged as the “most improved Rider,” accepted the certificates for members of Class 03-2022.

“Aside from the skills enhancement, I am confident that this course fostered opportunities to build new and productive relations as well as camaraderie on our law enforcement sector participants and your civilian classmates, all for the love of riding big bikes,” Azurin said.

The PNP chief said the training serves as an opportunity to improve and enhance the skills of each and every member of the police force. With that in mind, he urged the new Riders to properly utilize the special and instinctive skills acquired from the EMRC as they respond to any incident or in high-speed police response.

“May you utilize all the learning and skills in this course to nurture greater responsiveness on road and traffic concerns and in ensuring the safety and security of the public to walk the streets unharmed and deter criminals inclined from having the opportunity of carrying out their criminal intentions,” Azurin said.

The top cop commended the training management and staff of the PNP-HPG as well as the participants of the course “by giving 100 percent of their time and involvement” in the training activity.

He said the PNP never ceases to develop capability training for its personnel to harness their competency and skills in motorcycle riding and continuously provide innovation and create efforts to promote their overall welfare.

The PNP-HPG motorcycle riding course is designed to train individuals on the rudiments of proper Big Bike riding. The young Marcos earlier made history as the first member of the Marcos family to join a 16-day such program.

“We are proud to have the President’s son for one of our students. I think he will make a very good Ambassador of Goodwill when it comes to road safety and protection among motorcycle riders in the country,” Gairanod said.

The President’s son is among the students in the PNP-HPG-supervised EMRC training who were taught by HPG “Tigers” or Big Bike experts on how to properly ride the machine and keep them and others safe in any emergency situation.

The students first learned the ropes of Big Bike riding by undergoing a number of exercises, including the so-called “Otso-Otso” where they drive motorcycles to create the No. 8 figure without their boots touching the ground, the Motorcycle Crash, the Night Driving, the City Driving, the thrilling Long Jump and finally, the exciting Long Ride.