LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—After six recorded highway robbery/hijacking cases that involved delivery trucks, the provincial police have intensified their resolve to prevent the repeat of these incidents by intensifying “Oplan Harabas” and other countermeasures.

Superintendent Ricardo Tamayo, deputy provincial director for operations, told this writer that he presided a meeting recently in Binalonan town attended by more than 20 trucking service operators as well as police chiefs whose towns are possible targets of hijacking/highway robbery incidents particularly along the McArthur Highway.

Senior Supt. Alan Purisima, provincial police director, initiated the action and asked police chiefs from the towns of Rosales, Villasis, Urdaneta City, Binalonan, Pozorrubio, Sison, Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, Asingan and Sta. Maria to attend the meeting.

In 2005, there were three attempted hijacking in Villasis, Sison and Binalonan and this year, the same incidents happened in Sta. Barbara, Pozorrubio and Sison and another one in Binalonan recently where more than P1million worth of canned products was hijacked.

Tamayo said that the trucking operators relaxed in their safety measures so the police presented them additional means to avoid being victimized by hijackers.

He said they reminded them of their previous arrangement made last year when they were called to a meeting like timely reporting of the incidents.

Among the measures were monitoring of departure of the truck driver and his helpers from the warehouse to their point of destination where constant updating about the location is relayed to the operator every 15 to 30 minutes either by phone call or text messaging.

This will allow the police to immediately track down suspects in case something happens to the victims. In the past, delayed reporting of the victims had always been a problem of the police.

Hotlines of police chiefs were also provided them and two more police community precincts will be established in Binalonan and Pozorrubio town.

Checkpoints are also in place and the “Oplan Harabas” of the PNP will be applied wherein truck drivers will be flagged down for a checkpoint anytime along the highway.

Pass card will be issued by police chief from the point of origin of the driver where the driver’s name, his helper, truck owner, telephone number, address and his route are indicated. During checkpoints, the inspection officer will assign it.

Also, the police have identified specific safe areas where the drivers and his helpers can stop and take a rest where police visibility and presence are in place.

There was an incident in Pangasinan when a truck driver and his helpers were wounded after hijackers attacked them while they were resting.