GABRIEL Go, the controversial head of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s Special Operations Group-Strike Force, will be retained in his post after being reprimanded, MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes said yesterday.
Go was reprimanded by the agency’s Legal and Legislative Affairs Staff for simple discourtesy in connection with the administrative complaint against him after he berated police Capt. Erik Felipe during a clearing operation in Quezon City last March 25.
Artes said Go’s reprimand came with a stern warning that he would be dealt with more severely if he repeated the same offense.
Artes said Go will also be made to undergo a 5-day mentoring focusing on leadership, courtesy and discipline.
“He will undergo a five-day training mentorship coaching on traffic management, focusing on leadership, courtesy, and discipline and with special attention on stress and anger management,” Artes said, adding this is for Go’s self-improvement.
The 5-day training mentorship will be done under the guidance of Edison Nebrija of the MMDA Traffic Education Division.
Artes said the incident involving Go should serve as a reminder to traffic enforcers to exercise maximum tolerance when dealing with unwarranted confrontations with traffic violators, diplomatically address the matter, and observe the highest degree of professionalism in all official dealings.
Sen. JV Ejercito and National Police Commission Commissioner Ralph Calinisan had criticized Go’s behavior towards the police officer, which they described as “overbearing and disrespectful.”
Earlier, Artes defended the agency’s decision to re-hire Go several months after he resigned his post.
Go resigned from the MMDA in June 2023 and was rehired in November of the same year.
At the time of his rehiring, Artes said no case had been filed against Go.
The MMDA chief, however, did not make any statement on the alleged sexual harassment case filed against Go by a lady traffic enforcer of the agency.
Artes said he has already reached out to Ejercito regarding the lawmaker’s claim that an MMDA lady traffic enforcer has complained of sexual advances made by Go.
Ejercito, in a Facebook post, said the lady traffic enforcer was relieved from her post due to the sexual harassment case.
“We have talked to Sen. JV Ejercito regarding his post and we are providing a clarification regarding the matter involving Mr. Go, particularly the complaint of a lady traffic enforcer, which was mentioned in his post,” Artes said last week.
