By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
MANILA – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday summoned Special Operations Group – Strike Force head Gabriel Go for berating a police officer ticketed for parking on the sidewalk.
In a statement, MMDA Chair Romando Artes acknowledged the incident, a video of which was supposedly posted online, and said the matter will be addressed “with full accountability.”
“We, the officials of MMDA, consistently remind all our employees that we are public servants and that we should treat everyone with respect and utmost courtesy. Even in times of aggression, we exercise maximum tolerance and compassion,” Artes said.
He, however, pointed out that MMDA personnel are also humans.
“We get tired, and sometimes, our zealousness in enforcing the traffic laws gets the best of us,” he said, noting that Go was a “dedicated enforcer.”
Nevertheless, he assured that if their investigation finds Go committed a mistake, he will be accorded due process and “penalize him as justified.”
“Doing our job is challenging and most of the time frustrating, but this is not an excuse to violate our policies or protocols. Our commitment to serving the public must remain unwavering, amid difficulties and adverse public reactions,” he said.
To date, he said a show cause order has been issued to Go and called for a proper apology to be made to Police Captain Erik Felipe, the police officer who was berated by Go.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our constituents. It will be a learning experience for Mr. Go and the MMDA as a whole,” he said.
Artes also reached out to officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM), and the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) regarding the matter.
“We all agreed that this isolated incident will not, in any way, tarnish our good relationship and that we shall maintain coordination, mutual respect, and cooperation between our organizations,” he said. (PNA)
