(Eagle News) – Former Senator Panfilo Lacson criticized Malacanang’s move to give the lead role of traffic management to the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG)
Lacson said the focus of the PNP-HPG should be on arresting erring motorists, and not on the management of traffic flow which should still be left to the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
Lacson said the PNP-HPG could help in the management of traffic in EDSA, but disagreed with Malacanang’s view that they should completely take-over the previous role of MMDA.
In an interview over radio station DZBB, Lacsons said: “Sang-ayon ako pero dapat hindi complete takeover… Pwedeng manatili ang pagdi-direct ng traffic sa MMDA at yung pag-apprehend ng mga motorista ang gampanan ng Highway Patrol Group.”
He said that previously, MMDA personnel focused on apprehension of erring motorists than directing traffic in the main roads.
“Makikita natin na matagal nang wanting ang pagdi-direct ng traffic ng MMDA. Halos wala na tayong nakikitang taga-MMDA na nagdi-direct ng traffic dahil ang focus nila ay manghuli ng mga traffic violators,” he said.
For its part, the PNP-HPG maintained that it was up to the job and that it would try to bring back the old glory of the police in EDSA.
PNP-Chief Director General Ricardo Marquez himself led the send-off ceremonies for the 150 members of the HPG who will start managing traffic at the six identified major chokepoints on EDSA. These include Balintawak, Cubao, Ortigas, Shaw Boulevard, Guadalupe and Taft Avenue.
He called on the HPG men to show their best side in the performance of their new duties.
“Lahat ng gagawin natin sa EDSA, hindi lang magre-reflect sa each and every HPG personnel, hindi lang magre-reflect sa buong HPG. Tatagos lahat sa Philippine National Police,” Marquez said during the HPG’s send-off ceremony at the PNP’s national headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Marquez appealed to the public to cooperate with them, and asked critics to give this new scheme a try.
The HPG men were deployed in two shifts to man six major chokepoints on EDSA. Each shift would have 150 men.
A total of 360 personnel were deployed on Monday, including 150 men from the MMDA and the 60 personnel from the various police districts that covered the EDSA chokepoints.