GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 5 June)—None among the personnel of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) in the Soccsksargen region has the authority to apprehend traffic violators and seize driver’s licenses.
“None of them can apprehend, they are not authorized by law,” pointed out Melharrieh Tomawis, the Soccsksargen director of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), during a media forum on Tuesday, noting that the LTO has not yet renewed the deputization order of HPG in the region.
According to Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code of the Philippines, only law enforcement units and police officers duly deputized by the head of the LTO have the power to apprehend and confiscate drivers’ licenses during violations.
The LTO official said the deputization order of the HPG in Soccsksargen expired and was due for renewal in December last year.
Without the LTO deputization order, HPG personnel has no legal authority to impound vehicles or confiscate drivers’ licenses of erring motorists, he added.
For now, HPG’s only remaining function is to direct traffic and go after car thieves, he said
Tomawis called on motorists and vehicle owners to report to his office any apprehensions made by any HPG personnel after December.
“They [HPG] have yet to iron out some important issues before they will again be deputized,” Tomawis said when asked why they still refused to give any of the HPG personnel authority to apprehend.
The official added they have been receiving numerous complaints from motorists about some HPG personnel. But, he declined to give details.
“The motoring public obviously knows about these issues,” Tomawis said, pointing out that they, at LTO, do not want the deputization to be abused by anyone who has it.
Several motorists have been complaining about an HPG motorcycle cop who has a makeshift checkpoint set up few meters from the regular police checkpoint in Baluyan, along the national highway boundary of Sarangani and Davao del Sur.
A driver of a fish carrier who asked to be named only as Akmad, for fear of reprisal, told MindaNews he was forced to give money every time he passed by the lone HPG motorcycle cop.
Tomawis said that for the past six months, they have been coping with an inadequate number of traffic enforcers by seeking help from select police personnel in checkpoints along the national roads. These policemen were given authority to apprehend, he said.
This reporter sought the comment of Col. Christine Tan, HPG Soccsksargen chief, but she has yet to respond. This story will be updated once she replies. (Rommel G. Rebollido / MindaNews)
