Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada has ordered the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau to arrest and bring to court fake traffic enforcers that have been preying on motorists in the city.
Estrada said the good image of the city’s traffic management unit is being dragged down the drain by these bogus traffic enforcers extorting money from helpless motorists, particularly truck drivers and even operators of legitimate towing firms.
“I will never, ever let this pass. This is embarrassing. We should all arrest these people and make them answer in the court of law,” the mayor said.
Citing a report from MTPB chief Dennis Alcoreza, Estrada said those men posing as traffic enforcers were former members of MTPB that he fired last November.
During that time, Estrada ordered the dismissal of all 690 traffic personnel of MTPB due to various illegal activities such as extortion; they were replaced by new batches of enforcers that were thoroughly screened and trained by the Manila Police District-Traffic Enforcement Unit.
In compliance to Estrada’s directive, Alcoreza has formed a unit to conduct entrapment operations against these phony traffic enforcers.
Three have been arrested so far in a series of operations that began last May. The suspects were identified as Benjamin Baliwag, Enrique Duque and Kenneth Garcia.
The trio were among the 690 MTPB men fired last November and were unable to reapply due to their bad records, according to Alcoreza.
“What happened was they operate at night, mostly targeting delivery trucks and even tow trucks, still using their old uniforms, claiming they were their official escorts. They would then demand what they call ‘SOP’ or money from these drivers,” Alcoreza said.
Baliwag has been arrested in an entrapment last May but now remains at-large after being able to post bail on charges of robbery-extortion and usurpation of authority. Duque is detained at the MPD headquarters for the same charges.
Garcia, on the other hand, has been convicted and now serving his six-month prison term.
Last Monday, three more ex-MTPB men were arrested after trying to extort P5,000 cash from a driver of an SUV whom they flagged down for a supposed speeding violation; the driver turned out to be an undercover MTPB traffic officer.
The suspects were identified as Jerome Miller, Mark Buzeta, and Rogelio Balatbat. Found in their possession were fake tickets and the money they allegedly collected from their previous victims.
Alcoreza said the MTPB special unit is still on the hunt for these fake traffic enforcers.
To avoid being victimized by this modus operandi, Alcoreza reminded the public that legitimate MTPB men are on duty from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. only.
After 10 p.m., only selected traffic enforcers with verifiable mission orders can operate, but only on special occasions, he explained.
“When you are flagged down by a uniformed MTPB enforcer or anyone in civilian clothes identifying him- or herself as member of MTPB past 10 at night, demand a mission order and ID. When they can’t present any, they’re fake. Call for help,” Alcoreza advised motorists passing through Manila at night.