'Ba't kase may police sticker?' PNP stands ground in arresting 2 MMDA personnel
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has stood its ground in arresting two enforcers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) who were collared while providing road assistance to a government official.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo explained that the arresting Highway Patrol Group (HPG) has no issue with the road assistance itself but on the use of police markings on their motorcycles which she described as misrepresentation of the police force.
“Why would you put a police sticker on the motorcycle when you are not a police officer? From the point of view of police officers, they would think that the rider of the motorcycle with a police sticker is a police officer,” said Fajardo in an interview over dzBB.
“So the HPG leadership stands its ground that there were violations committed and this was the reason why they were apprehended and filed with illegal or improper use of insignia” she added.
The two MMDA enforcers were arrested in Parañaque City on Wednesday night while escorting Sen. Francis Tolentino.
MMDA acting chairman Don Artes earlier said that Tolentino requested for road assistance as he had an important meeting in the Palace, a request they granted due to the urgency of the situation.
In a statement, Tolentino hit what he described as misinformation and lack of clear guidelines from the PNP in connection with the incident.
"It appears that PCol. Fajardo has mixed up details of separate incidents involving the arrest of riders and a police officer. As a spokesperson, it is your duty and obligation to the general public to provide the correct information,” Tolentino said.
"They were charged with Usurpation of Authority, yet they never impersonated police officers. Secondly, they were charged with improper use of stickers, but there is no law prohibiting the use of stickers. Perhaps insignias, but the stickers weren't even on their uniforms,” he added.
Fajardo said the operation that led to the arrest of two MMDA personnel is part of the aggressive operation against policemen illegally providing security to VIPs. And in the case of the operation on Wednesday night, it just happened that those involved are MMDA enforcers.
“With due respect to our colleagues in the MMDA, we arrested several motorcycles with police markings on them. We have been intensifying the operation against these riders and it just happened that on the night of May 29, there were MMDA personnel involved,” said Fajardo.