MANILA, Philippines – Manila Mayor Isko Moreno has on Sunday (17 November 2019) appealed to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to strip all privileges of the driver of a private vehicle who resisted apprehension while putting the life of a Manila Traffic Parking Bureau (MTPB) enforcer in grave danger on Saturday morning (16 November 2019) in Sta.Cruz, Maynila.

Moreno made his appeal to the LTO after he personally checked on the suspect inside his holding cell at Manila Police District – Station 3, saying the LTO must strip the disobedient driver all his privileges including the confiscation of his driver’s license as a result of the incident.

According to Moreno, a review of the CCTV showed the enforcer in Adrian Lim appears being dragged for several meters as he firmly held on to the Mitsubishi Xpander driven by suspect Orlando Ricardo Jr. of Quezon City.

The enforcer said he held on to the vehicle intending to keep himself out of harm’s way and not to actually apprehend the driver but to only warn him about a small traffic violation.

Moreno admonished the driver by putting the life of a traffic enforcer in grave danger instead of acknowledging but a small traffic violation.

According to Lim, “disregarding lane” was only that Ricardo might have committed but instead of acknowledging it the latter opted to get away from the scene prompting the enforcer to immediately grab and hold on to the driver seat until he fell down the pavement on Gelinos Street near Laong-Laan Road.

The local chief executive also called on all drivers not to follow the same horrifying action of Ricardo against an enforcer even as he also stressed that erring MTPB agents shall also be dealt with accordingly should there be one.

“Lagi ko lang ipinapaalala sa kanila na bigyan ng dangal ang ID nila, na ito ay bilang tanda na bahagi sila ng pamahalaan dahil ang pagbibigay ng dangal dito ay pagbibigay din ng dangal sa pamilya niya,” Moreno said while holding the ID of an enforcer who accompanied him at Station 3.

Inquest proceedings against the suspect has been scheduled Monday while a “surprise” from the mayor accordingly await the traffic enforcer who sustained some injuries. (BENJIE CUARESMA/IAMIGO/CNS)