For failure to issue ticket Erring traffic men in video sacked

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes has ordered the termination of services of two traffic enforcers from the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue.

This was after a video taken by a foreigner purportedly showing that they have indeed committed lapses.

City legal officer Giovanni Tianero said Mayor Cortes immediately wanted to effect the termination of services of Ringo Penados and Arman Gallardo for their "unbecoming conduct" after a check of the video showed that the duo committed violations when they came to apprehend a foreigner and his girlfriend during the Sinulog revelry last January 18 this year.

Tianero in an interview said that although there was a strong probability of extortion, the two traffic enforcers were sacked because of their failure to issue a citation ticket against the foreigner and his girlfriend who committed a traffic violation.

He said that when he came to check the video last Monday, it showed that both Penados and Gallardo committed arbitrary procedures in apprehending traffic violators.

He said that the video clearly showed that the foreigner committed a traffic violation by making a U-turn in a no U-turn area, after which, they were stopped by the traffic enforcers who took the driver's license of the foreigner but failed to issue a citation ticket.

"Makita sa video ang kadugay sa pag-apprehend, gipasa-pasa sa duha ang driver's license ug gitawag ug gipasud sa ilang patrol car ang foreigner," Tianero said.

He added that although conversation was not clear when it was uploaded on YouTube, when he came to use a good audio speaker, he heard from one of them saying "I-safety lang kay naay mga bata."

Though there is strong probability of extortion on this part, Tianero cannot point that there was a direct extortion because the video did not show that the girlfriend of the foreigner and the foreigner gave P1,500 to the traffic enforcers as they earlier claimed.

Tianero said that during investigation, both admitted committing violation for not issuing a citation ticket but they did not admit receiving the P1,500 bribe from the foreigner and his girlfriend.

Earlier, the two traffic enforcers were facing investigation after a foreigner accused them of extortion.

The foreigner uploaded a video on YouTube showing the traffic enforcers apprehending him on January 18 along Ouano Avenue at the North Reclamation Area.

The foreigner who did not identify himself claimed that the enforcers extorted P1,500 from him and his girlfriend. He admitted disregarding a "No U-turn sign" and said he was willing to pay for the corresponding penalty so long as proper citation ticket is issued.

However, the two enforcers allegedly demanded P2,000 without any citation ticket.

The more than four minute video has a caption that read: "Mandaue traffic cops at work on Sinulog Sunday 2015, stopped for making an illegal u-turn, these cops tried to sting us for P2,000 when really a ticket and fine should have been only P200. They didn't see the camera was running, never gave a ticket with P1,500 taken from my girlfriend-Pit Senor CTMS!"

The video also showed both enforcers disregarding the same traffic sign that the foreigner and his girlfriend have been flagged down for.

There were also two tricycles and motorcycle drivers committing traffic violations but were reportedly ignored by the enforcers.

In the video, the enforcers told the foreigner to get inside the car while one of them was talking to his girlfriend.

The  foreigner later asked his girlfriend what were she and the enforcer talking about. The girl said the enforcer demanded for P2,000 but she asked for citation ticket in return. The enforcer allegedly refused to issue.

Fearing for their safety because street children already started to gather around them, the foreigner said his girlfriend was forced to give P1,500 even without citation ticket.

After receiving the money the enforcers returned the driver's license (FREEMAN)