PNP-HPG to set up checkpoints for unauthorized drivers, passengers

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) Highway Patrol Group (HPG) will set up strategic checkpoints nationwide to make sure that vehicles will only carry authorized persons outside of residence (APOR) amid the quarantine period being enforced.

HPG chief Police Brig. Gen. Eliseo Cruz said the unit will deploy hundreds of personnel to man the checkpoints.

“HPG personnel has been instructed to conduct random inspection of vehicles to check if those on board are on APOR’s list or physical distancing is observed,” Cruz said in a statement on Thursday.

Cruz said the new checkpoints are different from the 115 dedicated checkpoints earlier put up by the HPG to make sure that vehicles carrying cargo and food items will not be stopped.

Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of Joint Task Force COVID Shield, said the HPG checkpoints for vehicles were set up after they modified inspections at quarantine control points (QCPs) during the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

Eleazar said police officers and soldiers will conduct random inspections of vehicles at the checkpoints but if traffic builds up, vehicles will be allowed to pass through.

“But once there is already a traffic build-up, the checking could be stopped temporarily to allow all the vehicles to pass freely. The strict checking of vehicles will resume if the traffic situation normalizes anew,” he said.

Eleazar said a huge volume of vehicles in MECQ areas especially in Metro Manila was seen as more employees were allowed to go to work.

Under the MECQ, the government has allowed the gradual reopening of economy with select manufacturing and processing plants permitted to open up 50 percent of their capacity.

/MUF