HiPAD in six high-risk Iloilo towns recalled

By: Jennifer P. Rendon 

The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) confirmed the recall of police officers assigned at Highway Police Assistance Desks or HiPADs in six high-risk municipalities.

Police Colonel Roland Vilela, Iloilo police chief, said these HiPADs are located in Tubungan, Igbaras, Bingawan, San Rafael, Maasin, and Alimodian.

But HiPADs in other areas, including the 9 towns and one component cities which are deemed high risk to New People’s Army (NPA) attack, remains intact.

Vilela said he devised a plan on how to respond in cases of attacks.

All off duty-policemen were also divided into sectors and a pre-designated place has been identified where they could converge to block enemy forces.

“That’s why, I require them to do frequent simulation exercises,” Vilela said.

Several months ago, the Police Regional Office (PRO-6) mulled the recall of police personnel assigned at HiPADs.

The move came as an offshoot of the disarming incident in Alimodian, Iloilo on April 27, 2019.

It was gathered that the deployment of HiPADs personnel was an instruction from the PNP national headquarters.

The previous PRO-6 regional directormade the move after noticing that some HiPADs were unmanned.

Prior to that, suspected NPA members disarmed a policeman manning a HiPAD at Barangay Bangalore, Alimodian town.

Police Corporal John John Anaya, 37, was the lone police officer when around 15 armed rebels stormed the police desk at around 4:50 p.m.

He was with Barangay Kagawad Lemuel Almendral and barangay tanod chief Willy Brania when the incident happened.

The suspects were on board two tricycles, which they earlier hijacked at Barangay Si-ol, Leon town, when they stormed the area.

The NPA rebels took Anaya’s service firearms, mobile phone, a bag containing his wallet with cash, a PNP-owned handheld radio, and the barangay-owned handheld radio.

Anaya and Corporal Gary Anzures were deployed to the station, but the latter allegedly attended to personal necessities when the attack happened.