20 SAF commandos reassigned to join HPG on Edsa

PHOTO by ARNOLD ALMACEN/INQUIRER

As the traffic situation on Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) worsens, some 20 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos will leave the elite police unit to help manage traffic on the country’s busiest thoroughfare.

Some 20 highly-trained commandos will be reassigned to the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP HPG), which had been ordered by President Benigno Aquino III, to take the lead in containing the traffic on Edsa.

In an interview at Camp Crame on Wednesday, HPG director Chief Superintendent Arnold Gunnacao said he had spoken with other PNP units and asked them to send their personnel to help HPG officers in managing Edsa traffic.

“SAF was the first to respond to my request for additional forces, so they gave up 20 personnel to train with the HPG and help out in assisting traffic on Edsa,” Gunnacao said.

This was confirmed by SAF head Police Director Moro Virgilio Lazo in a text message to INQUIRER.net.

“Twenty of our personnel were ready for reassignment and volunteered to go to HPG,” he said.

Lazo said the SAF commandos have started their training on traffic management when they reported to the HPG on Tuesday.

“I actually want to thank Director Moro Lazo for responding to our request. Regional directors from Regions 3 and 4A also responded,” said Gunnacao.

The HPG director said they will adjust the working shifts of cops sent to Edsa once the additional forces finishes their training with the HPG.

Initially, the PNP had announced that it would deploy 96 HPG men. But the PNP added 54 more personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office to join the HPG.

“Little by little, their shifts will be adjusted. Eventually, they will work in three shifts; until our troops increase, they will work in four shifts,” he said. Julianne Love de Jesus/JE