PNP-HPG NCR Chief, 12 Others Relieved After Bulacan Clash With Customs—But One Question Remains

The Philippine National Police–Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) has administratively relieved the chief of its Regional Highway Patrol Group–National Capital Region (RHPG-NCR) and 12 other personnel following an alleged confrontation with Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel in Bulacan.

The 13 personnel were transferred to the Personnel Holding and Accounting Section effective August 20, 2026, while the circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated.

According to the HPG, the personnel became involved in an incident while BOC personnel were carrying out the destruction of confiscated smuggled cigarettes in Bulacan.

HPG Director Brig. Gen. Rommel S. Batangan confirmed the administrative relief, saying the move forms part of the ongoing investigation into the incident.

What remains a key question is why the HPG-NCR conducted a raid at the location in the first place. Bombo Radyo reported that the reason for the operation had not yet been clearly established, prompting Batangan to order a closer examination of the circumstances surrounding the raid.

A separate report by the Manila Bulletin likewise reported that the HPG relieved personnel involved in the Bulacan operation following the confrontation with BOC personnel.

Investigation Now Underway

The administrative relief does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing. Rather, the personnel were removed from their posts while authorities determine what happened and whether any police protocols or regulations may have been violated.

The incident raises questions about the circumstances that led HPG personnel to the Bulacan site and what transpired between the police and customs officers during the operation.

For now, the PNP-HPG has not publicly disclosed a final finding on the incident. The investigation is expected to determine the justification for the HPG operation, the actions of the personnel involved, and whether further administrative or other proceedings will follow.

The developments are being closely watched as the investigation continues, particularly because the incident involved two government law-enforcement agencies—the PNP and the BOC—during an operation involving confiscated smuggled goods.