The city government of Manila will deploy more undercover inspectors to monitor the activities of traffic enforcers in a bid to stop corruption in the new traffic unit of the city.
It can be recalled that Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada had sacked the entire Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) after being swamped with complaints from the motorists about their alleged extortion activities.
Since then the Manila Police District-Traffic Enforcement Unit (MPD-TEU) and other traffic auxiliary units had taken over the streets in Manila.
In order to prevent corruption, Estrada said the city government plans will dispatch more undercover inspectors to pin down traffic enforcers who are habitual absentees and engaged in illegal activities.
He also said that the fielding of additional inspectors in the streets is part of the new measures “to sack corrupt and lazy MTPB members.”
“They would be tasked to go around and check if the traffic enforcers are in their posts or committing unlawful actions. This way we could easily identify, gather evidence, and dismiss them,” Estrada said.
Earlier, the city’s top executive announced the implementation of a “one-strike” policy against MTPB enforcers who are lax in their job.
MTPB chief Dennis Alcoreza said the secret agents will go around clad in civilian clothes, or would sometimes pose as motorists and pedestrians to catch and report unscrupulous traffic enforcers.
“Hindi sila nakikilala ng mga MTPB enforcers, naka-sibilyan, nagro-rotation,” Alcoreza said. (BETHEENA KAE UNITE)