LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. recently led the groundbreaking rites for the construction of the regional office of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) within a 265-square meter property of the State-run Benguet State University (BSU) at Longlong, Puguis here.
Azurin was accompanied by ranking PNP officials from the national and regional headquarters and provincial and municipal officials in the groundbreaking rites that will pave the way for the HPG-CAR to have a permanent home after leaving their present site at the back of the Baguio Convention Center (BCC).
The identification of the site for the HPG-CAR regional office was spearheaded by former HPG-CAR officer-in-charge Lt. Col. Kimberly Molitas who painstakingly worked to look for the area that will serve as the permanent site for the PNP national support unit.
Rep. Eric Yap sourced out the allocation of some P30 million from the public works department’s budget for this year to fund the construction of the HPG-CAR building that will include an impounding area for identified hot cars.
Congressman Yap worked out the inclusion of the funds in the agency’s annual budget because of the urgency of the need for the HPG-CAR to vacate its present site at the Baguio Convention Center for the same to have a permanent site that will be convenient for the people transacting business with the said national support unit.
Azurin expressed hope that with the new home, HPG-CAR officials and personnel will be able to effectively and efficiently discharge their duties and responsibilities to cater to the needs of the people transacting business with the agency.
Gov. Melchor Diclas and some provincial and municipal officials from the different parts of the province, PROCOR regional director Brig. Gen. Mafelino Bazar and other ranking police officers also graced the said occasion to be able to put in place the HPG-CAR reginal office.
The PNP chief also expressed the gratitude of the country’s police force to the administration of BSU for allowing the use of a portion of its property through a deed of usufruct for the HPG-CAR regional office as the same will surely be instrumental in in paving the way for the public to be able to conveniently transact business with the said office .
For his part, Diclas assured the all-out support of the provincial government to the overall efforts of the PNP in the implementation of its anti-criminality, anti-terrorism, anti-insurgency and peacekeeping initiatives to ensure law and order in the country to entice more investors that will be instrumental in spurring economic growth beneficial to the province.
Azurin was the director of the Benguet Provincial Police Office from 2013 to 2015 before occupying various positions in the PNP prior to his being appointed as the chief of the PNP last month by no less than President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’’ R. Marcos, Jr..
