By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) here has tapped the Provincial Highway Patrol Group (HPG) to go after vehicles with no registration plates and conduction stickers as a measure to intensify its anti-criminality campaign.
Police Lieutenant Abegael Donasco, Nocppo’s deputy information officer, said 24 vehicles were already impounded by the HPG from April 23 to 24.
Of these number, 19 were motorcycles and five others were four-wheeled vehicles, she added.
Donasco said most of the violators were not able to give valid reasons for the lack of registration plates.
She added that the police are very lenient as they would even ask the drivers or owners for their reasons for committing the violations before they were apprehended.
“Pag bago ang sasakyan at may valid reasons naman, naiintindihan naman iyon natin, pero dun sa mga wala talagang documents kahit O.R./C.R., bawal po iyon,” Donasco said.
Violators must pay a fine, but some opted to just have their motorcycles impounded because they don’t have money, she said.
The measure was imposed after Provincial Consultant for hospital operations Mariano Antonio “Marton” Cui III was gunned down by unidentified perpetrators believed to be on board a white van with no car plate in San Carlos City on April 12.
In fact, Nocppo is currently monitoring three vehicles allegedly linked to the crime.