Team to pursue driver in viral ‘bribery’ video

THE Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue City (Team) plans to pursue legal action against a truck driver caught on video allegedly bribing an enforcer.

They also plan to invite the driver in for questioning and report him to the Land Transportation Office.

Additionally, Team and the Mandaue City Government are investigating the incident, with Mayor Jonas Cortes stating that the enforcer will be fired if found guilty.

This incident highlights issues of bribery within the agency, prompting Team to implement body cameras for all personnel by 2025 to increase transparency and accountability.

During an interview on Monday, March 25, 2024, Edwin Jumao-as, Team head, said they are currently working with their legal department to devise a plan to invite the driver to their office and allow him to explain his side.

The video circulating on social media showed a Team enforcer receiving an item from a truck driver after issuing him a citation ticket on a street in Barangay Alang-Alang around 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 21.

In an interview after a turnover ceremony of facilities at Mandaue City College on March 25, Mayor Cortes confirmed that the City is investigating the alleged bribery incident.

“Rest assured (that) there will be no sacred cows in my administration, and those found guilty will be terminated,” said Cortes.

Jumao-as said the enforcer implicated in the alleged bribery case confessed to charging the driver for only one obstruction violation, despite the driver committing three offenses, including illegal counterflowing and disobedience to the traffic enforcer, each carrying a P1,000 penalty.

Jumao-as said the enforcer did not follow the standard operating procedure for apprehending traffic violators, which prohibits reaching into the driver’s vehicle while collecting documents like licenses or handling official receipts and certificates of registration.

He, however, did not discount the possibility that it was the driver who initiated the alleged bribery. Accepting bribes, however, constitutes a major violation on the part of the enforcer.

Body cams

To prevent similar bribery incidents in the future, Jumao-as said the Mandaue City Government will equip all Team personnel, especially field officers and enforcers, with body cameras this year.

As of March, he said, only five percent of the approximately 320 Team personnel lack body cameras.

Terminated

Jumao-as said they concluded their investigation on Friday afternoon, March 22, and immediately suspended the involved enforcer from work. They also recommended the enforcer’s termination to the City Administration, Legal, and Human Resources departments.

Jumao-as said they heard rumors of the enforcer’s involvement in extortion, but confirmation came only with the recent viral video.

Jumao-as added that the enforcer will be the 12th enforcer to be fired for alleged involvement in extortion since he took over as Team head in January 2021.