TRANSPORTATION Secretary Vince Dizon yesterday ordered the dismissal of the five Land Transportation Office (LTO) traffic enforcers involved in the manhandling of a rider in Panglao, Bohol last Friday.
“We are, effective (March 3), dismissing the law enforcers involved in the incident in Panglao, Bohol,” Dizon said in a press briefing at the LTO office on Monday.
He said the DOTr has completed its investigation into the incident, which started on March 1.
“They are hereby dismissed immediately. We don’t need to prolong this any longer,” he added.
Dizon reiterated that the DOTr will not tolerate any abuse of authority by its personnel, citing President Marcos Jr.’s reminder that government workers are “the people’s servants and not their lords.”
Dizon had tasked DOTr assistant secretary for road transport retired Col. Jojo Reyes to investigate the incident.
Reyes reported that the 57-year-old farmer, who was accosted by the five LTO traffic enforcers was hospitalized due to the incident.
Based on the viral video, the farmer was on board his motorcycle when he was stopped by the LTO employees in a law enforcement operation last Friday who questioned him about the bolo that he had in his possession.
The farmer was held by the LTO personnel and forced to get off his motorcycle. He was heard shouting that he is a farmer, which is why he was carrying a bolo.
Despite the farmer’s protests, he was still arrested and detained at the custodial facility of the Panglao Police Station.
At the same time, Dizon ordered the creation of a task force to conduct a comprehensive review on the use of motorcycles by LTO and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) enforcers.
The task force, which will be led by Reyes, will review existing traffic policies and regulations to address potential abuses by enforcers.
Dizon said the review is in light of allegations that traffic enforcers are supposedly given “too much discretion” in enforcing traffic rules, thus giving them the opportunity to abuse their authorities.
“Kailangan po nating repasuhin ang current na mga regulasyon kasi baka ito ang nagiging source ng abusive behaviors ng ilan sa ating enforcers (We need to review the current regulations because these might be the source of the abusive behaviors of some of our enforcers),” Dizon said.
“We want to understand if the current policies are actually providing opportunities for abuse,” he added.
