THE Highway Patrol Group (HPG)-Northern Mindanao on Monday, February 6, initiated surprise inspections at police offices inside provincial and city police camps across the region as part of the campaign to cleanse the police organization of scalawags.
HPG-Northern Mindanao regional director Senior Superintendent Gabriel Lopez said the simultaneous inspections across the region were done to check ownership documents of the vehicles.
Lopez said the order was transmitted over the weekend from Camp Crame and was forwarded to the Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao.
"May order kahapon to check the vehicles inside the camps ng police. Siguro part ito ng counter intelligence task force para macheck ang gamit ng mga police (There was an order to check the vehicles inside the police camps. Maybe this is a part of the counter intelligence task force to check the valuables of the police)," Lopez said.
Lopez added that the instruction was to check all vehicles in police camps and offices to see if the records are all good.
Lopez said they will also double check the records of the vehicles from other agencies.
Chief Inspector Mardy Hortillosa, spokesperson of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, said none of the vehicles inside the Maharlika headquarters were impounded.
Hortillosa said the surprise inspections may have also been done as a form of lifestyle check.
"Part ni sa cleansing. Paminaw ko ang sangputan ani is kuhaon ang background kung sibo ba ang kinitaan sa police para makapalit sa sakyanan. Gikuha ang pangalan kinsa tag-iya ug posible i-background check ngano naka-possess ug kaya ba makapalit sa police ani (This is part of the cleansing. I think this will eventually lead to checking the background if the salary of a policeman can buy a vehicle. The name will be taken and a possible background check might be done to know why he possesses a vehicle)," Hortillosa said.
Hortillosa said the report will be most likely forwarded to the newly formed Counter Intelligence Task Force who will takes charge in going after rogue members of the Philippine National Police.