HPG men attend seminar, take tests at LTO 

Sixty members of the Philippine National Police's Highway Patrol Group (HPG) and Special Action Force (SAF) took a crash course in the enforcement of traffic rules and regulations on Sunday at the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

 

HPG director Chief Superintendent Arnold Gunnacao said the Deputies' Training Seminar conducted by the LTO will give the cops the necessary knowledge on traffic rules and spot its violators on EDSA.

 

"We really want to arm our personnel so they can properly implement the traffic laws because if they are not deputized by the LTO, then they will just be able to manage the traffic but they cannot apprehend violators,” Gunnacao said in a report aired on GMA News TV's “Balitanghali."

 

The 60 cops should pass the examinations after the seminar so can be deputized by the LTO.

 

According to the HPG, 65 of its 80 members who took the seminar earlier passed the exam given by the LTO. The 15 who failed will have to retake the test.

 

The HPG tookover the lead in managing traffic on EDSA starting last week. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority's (MMDA) constables, who are tasked to help in managing traffic on EDSA, are under the jurisdictional control of the police.

 

Gunnacao earlier said HPG personnel were able to apprehend at least 300 vehicles from September 7 to 11.

 

Since there are only 150 HPG men deployed along EDSA, Gunnacao said he has called on other police units to assist them in managing the traffic.

 

He said the SAF has volunteered to help, courtesy of its director, Chief Superintendent Moro Virgilio Lazo.

 

“One of those who responded to my call was the director of SAF,” he said.

 

The HPG earlier said the cops deployed along EDSA will work in two shifts: from 5:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. —Xianne Arcangel/ALG, GMA News