MMDA Continues to Cleanse Its Ranks of Erring Enforcers

Recently, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reiterated that its campaign against unprincipled personnel continues. With this announcement, MMDA General Manager Tim Orbos invited the public—particularly regular motorists who encounter MMDA constables on a daily basis—to report or file complaints against wayward enforcers to the agency. Orbos said that the public can report these ‘bad eggs’ within the agency via Facebook and the I Will Act complaint portal hosted in the MMDA website.

“We like to reiterate that the MMDA leadership will not tolerate any form of abuse and illicit activities, such as receiving payola or extortion, of our personnel,” Orbos said.

About the I Will Act complaint portal

MMDA’s complaint portal exists because of the collaboration between different agencies that comprise the Inter-Agency on Traffic (i-ACT). These include the MMDA, Department of Transportation (DOTr), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the 17 Metro Manila local government units (LGUs).

“We call on the public to stay vigilant and we encourage them to report abuses by our personnel via the multiple line of reporting system like FB and Viber (Netizen’s Watch) and Twitter,” Orbos said.

“We urge complainants to include valid support/evidence for the authority to promptly act on the complaint. As part of due process, we need to have reasonable justification to impose preventive suspension and/or penalties. A mere complaint, without a slightest of proof cannot be given due course. We urge the public to assist us by supporting their complaint with supporting materials,” he added.

Orbos said that the MMDA portal welcomes complaints not only for their traffic enforcers, but for the agency’s other services as well. The MMDA head said that an internal group will review and investigate the complaints received by the agency.

MMDA complaints are acted upon

According to the agency’s Legal and Legislative Affairs department, the agency has a total of 681 administrative cases involving MMDA staff. Out of that figure, 129 personnel faced dismissal after undergoing investigation and due process, while 134 faced charges. A total of 91 staff members faced suspension for various cases, while 257 received a reprimand.

In October of last year, one of the MMDA’s traffic enforcers faced arrest for drug-related crimes. Dexter Lucas, a member of the MMDA Motorcycle Unit, found himself under police custody after he fell in an entrapment operation conducted by Quezon City anti-narcotics agents that month. Meanwhile, four other traffic personnel were sacked for extortion. The MMDA found traffic constables Crisaldo Lopez, Victor Santos, Mark Richard de Guia, and Resty Padel guilty of extorting money from motorists in separate occasions.

To aid in MMDA’s campaign in curbing erring enforcers, Orbos said that they plan to start releasing notices to the public bearing the photos of the offenders as well as the criminal and administrative cases filed against them. Orbos said they plan to place these notices within agency premises.