The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) sanctioned several of its employees for violating measures being implemented under the enhanced community quarantine, Chairman Danilo Lim said Wednesday night.
According to Lim, he has ordered that penalties and administrative sanctions be imposed on employees who refused to follow the mandatory measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“We are very serious in our battle against COVID-19. We cannot afford to waste the agency’s efforts because of some employees who are blatantly disregarding the enhanced community quarantine guidelines.” Lim said.
The MMDA chairman said that the agency does not condone “recklessness and grave misconduct of our personnel that’s why we ordered sanctions against them.”
On April 29, three MMDA traffic personnel were placed under a 30-day preventive suspension for violating the “no backride” policy during the quarantine.
A number of complaints have been posted on Facebook about hard-headed enforcers.
MMDA said Traffic Aide 3 Enrico Garcia was caught driving his motorcycle with Traffic Aide 1 Dominic Acunin as his backrider along EDSA corner Timog Avenue in Quezon City.
Just like Garcia, Acunin was also placed on a 30-day suspension for riding on the motorcycle of Garcia as it violates the social distancing rule.
Traffic Aide 3 Angelito Diendo Jr. was also suspended for violating the same offense. On April 25, he was driving his motorcycle with a backride, whom he identified as his daughter, along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.
They were all given traffic violation ticket with a fine of P5, 000 for violating the “no backride” policy.
On April 18, Traffic Aide 1 Roger Rondina, and Michaeval Lucina; and Technical Assistant 1 Rene Homecihada were placed on 90-day preventive suspension for violating physical distancing measure and drinking in public places amid the quarantine in Makati.
For not wearing a face mask while manning an inspection on Alabang Zapote Road, Traffic Aide 1 Lucas Alcaraz of the Las Pinas Sector was placed by the agency under preventive suspension.
In its memorandum issued on March 29, the MMDA required all of its frontline employees to wear face masks to serve as a protection from the virus. (Jel Santos)