P5.7 million lost to hijackings in CL

By Mar T. Supnad

CAMP OLIVAS, City of San Fernando, Pampanga – A top police official of the Highway Patrol Group said P5.7-M worth of goods have recently been hijacked by syndicates in the region, alarming police and businessmen here.

This was reported by Sr. Supt. Edgardo Tinio, HPG region 3 chief, during the "hijacking summit" attended by around 400 businessmen and top police officials in Pampanga.

As a result, Central Luzon police director, Chief Supt. Arturo Cacdac Jr., came up with a scheme such as issuance of "pass card" to eradicate if not minimize hijacking incidents along Olongapo Gapan road, Bataan highways and other national highways in Central Luzon.

Cacdac said the summit was attended by 400 businessmen engaged trucking industry in Central Luzon with different PNP units in the region including chiefs of police in Pampanga.

Discussed was the strict enforcement of the “passccard” to all drivers of cargo trucks for their safety and for easier identification of the location of the route of origin and destination.

Tarlac provincial police director, Senior Supt. Amador Corpuz discussed the full enforcement of “pass card.”

The card will be issued to truck drivers upon entering the first town of the province of Central Luzon and signed by the PNP who has the jurisdiction and surrendered to the last town.

The next first town of the preceding province will issue another pass card and again it will be surrendered at the last town until the cargo truck reaches its destination and vice versa.
According to Tinio, the pass card will only be issued only in the main route of destination traversing Maharlika-McArthur Highway and other main routes and not on other routes.

Otherwise, he said, the travel of the cargo truck is questionable unless the main route is not available.

Tinio asked full cooperation of trucking owners to abide with rules and policies especially in implementation of the pass card and if possible, all truckers should avail of modern technology through the installation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) so their trucks could be monitored.