HPG: MMDA escorts’ arrest has basis

MANILA, Philippines — The arrest of the two Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) enforcers who escorted Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino by members of the police Highway Patrol Group (HPG) has basis, an official said yesterday.

Col. Jean Fajardo, the chief information officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the HPG reasoned that its personnel apprehended the MMDA riders after police markings were spotted on their motorcycles.

The MMDA riders were flagged down at the corner of J.W. Diokno Avenue and ASEANA Avenue on Wednesday night.

“May mga nakalagay na markang pulis doon sa harapan ng kanilang motor at saka ‘yung salitang ‘police’ doon sa tinatawag nating top box doon sa gilid (There were police markings on the front of their motorcycles and there was the word ‘police’ on the side of the top box),” she said in an interview over dzBB radio.

Fajardo said it is for this reason why the HPG’s National Capital Region (NCR) office filed criminal complaints against the MMDA enforcers for usurpation of authority and illegal use of uniform or insignia.

Fajardo said the HPG maintained the apprehension of enforcers of the MMDA was valid as they should not have the markings on their motorcycles in the first place.

“Sa pananaw nila ito pong markings ng police ay related sa pagiging pulis. So yun naman ay pinaninindigan ng HPG (In their view the police markings are related to being a police officer. The HPG has made its stance),” she said.

Tolentino on Friday called out Fajardo, who was a guest on his radio program on Friday, and admonished her, thinking that she was the one who announced the arrest of the two MMDA enforcers.

However, Fajardo only gave an update on the arrest of an HPG police officer and ex-Army trooper who were caught moonlighting as motorcycle escorts of a Toyota Alphard luxury vehicle in Parañaque in another operation.

The lawmaker claimed Fajardo had mixed up the details of separate incidents, apparently unaware the police official never discussed the issue of the MMDA riders’ apprehension during her news briefing.

It was HPG-NCR’s Col. Neil Francia who discussed the MMDA enforcers’ apprehension in a separate interview with reporters, which was separate from Fajardo’s news conference.