MMDA traffic aide nabbed for extortion

The leadership of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reiterated the agency’s campaign of removing personnel conducting unscrupulous activities after a traffic aide was recently arrested for allegedly trying to extort money.

MMDA shared that the Highway Patrol Group-Special Operations Division caught 40-year-old MMDA personnel Jomar Palata (who is assigned at the MMDA Office of the Assistant General Manager for Operations) in an entrapment operation. He is currently facing robbery extortion, grave coercion, and usurpation of authority charges.

Citing a police report, the MMDA said that a lady complainant sought for police assistance after the suspect — who identified himself as a law enforcement personnel of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) — tried to get “grease money” from her.

The accuser said that Palata threatened her that he will apprehend all the commuter vans she owned if she will not pay P100,000.

MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said the government office does not tolerate such wayward activities done by any of its personnel and encouraged victims of extortion and coercion to report such illegal activities.

“The MMDA is serious in cleaning its ranks of any wrongdoings as we are likewise very firm in keeping the agency corruption-free,” Artes said.

“Anyone who was victimized by erring personnel is encouraged to lodge a complaint in our office for investigation. Proven guilty, the MMDA will not be gentle in meting out punishments for these individuals,” he added.

Further, Artes clarified that legitimate apprehensions coming from the MMDA are to be settled at its Redemption Center in Makati or in authorized online payment channels such as Landbank and Bayad.

Photos from Metropolitan Manila Development Authority

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