Escorts for hire?

This is how social media brings out the “smartest” people in the country and the world. A woman bragged how her husband hired (paid) a Highway Patrol Group (HPG) officer to escort her, so she doesn’t have to deal with traffic. The PNP immediately reacted to this genius post, stating they do not tolerate “involvement in, or endorsement of, escort-for-hire services,” and that “such activities are strictly against our existing protocols and regulations.”

But the PNP has also gone on the defensive saying they will investigate if the HPG escort is truly one of their own or if he was an impostor. The PNP claims the HPG officer was not sporting the new uniform with a serial number. They are also looking into the possibility of filing a case against the woman who posted the video online which they claim violated cybercrime laws. The woman in question has no longer responded to calls from the PNP. What are they waiting for? If they have the name of the woman, then do what you have to do within the boundaries of the law.

It baffles me how one would post something like this. How many times have we heard that only a handful of government officials can avail of police escorts? Over and over again, we are reminded that only the highest officials of the land are granted this privilege. But the fact of the matter is we still see many vehicles not sporting single-digit plate numbers having police escorts that not only escort them but bully their way on the road. And let’s not forget funeral convoys with motorcycle escorts. Is the PNP only acting on those instances that find their way on social media?

I have yet to see that new uniform that has serial numbers on them. To be honest, I seldom see motorcycle-riding officers plying the roads on their own. They are usually escorting other vehicles, authorized or not. In fact, I believe that is their only job, to escort some VIP, government or private. I have yet to see them making arrests for violators of traffic laws. There are even times when the violation happens right in front of them, but they don’t stop, as if they have to be somewhere else.

If the PNP wants to keep the image of the PNP-HPG clean, then they have to start being strict about these escort-for-hire jobs. Too many incidents are just being ignored. I see them escorting vehicles with private plate numbers. If these are PNP top brass, shouldn’t their vehicles be official ones with red plates?