LTO HPG arrests 156 impounds 34 vehicles

DARAGA, Albay, Feb. 11 (PNA) – In a span of 11 hours, the combined enforcement of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the police highway patrol group (HPG) arrested a total of 156 violators and impounded at least 30 motor vehicles and four passenger buses in separate field operations Friday. Two PP Company buses from Manila bound for Legazpi City were flagged down along the highway in barangay Culiat, this town and were subsequently impounded for violations of registration and travel route during the early morning field operations. The other two buses, both owned by DLTB Company, were also impounded for similar violations in the evening field operations along the highway junction in Polangui, Albay. Mar Jose Magistrado, LTO operations division chief said 40 violators were also arrested and issue temporary operator’s permits during the operation in this town, while in the Polangui, the team netted 116 violators and impounded 30 motor vehicles. HPG members have expressed willingness to join LTO enforcers in field operations because they can also carry out at the same time the implementation of the election gun ban. During the conduct of police check points for gun ban implementation motorcycle riders cannot be required to open the u-box (under seat compartment), but this can be carry out on LTO-led operations especially on cases of impounded motorcycles and cars. “We have to open the motorcycles’ u-box and the cars’ doors and hoods to make an inventory of the tools and other things contained in them before we tow them to the impounding facility. It is part of our standard operating procedure which the police considers more beneficial to their campaign”, Magistrado added.(PNA)